"Every artist was first an amateur." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome to my blog! I've been wanting to start one for a while now... My painting journey didn't start that long ago and I've come a long way since then. I am and always have been a late bloomer - always a few steps behind. So these are my tiny stories about figuring things out in my own way at my own time - hopefully they will be interesting and maybe even inspiring. I like to go back and forth from past-tense to pre-tense so just stick with me - I'm a painter, not a writer!
It was 2017. I was 29. It had been over a decade since I had last picked up a paintbrush. Life was full of other things like babies and work and art was the last thing on my mind - especially painting - something I tried once in high school and did not pursue because I just wasn't a painter.
It was a seemingly ordinary day. I got home from work and sat down with my 4-year-old daughter at our kitchen counter. I brought home a cheap set of watercolors from Target for our evening activity. I painted a moon with some blue trees with a lake in the foreground. And, well... I fell in love.
I didn't really know what I was doing, but it didn't matter - I was hooked. There was a certain freedom in this amateur stage - totally unburdened by expectations. Looking back, it was a sacred time. I could experiment, make mistakes, and explore without the pressure of perfection. I felt free to simply create without a care in the world.
I started selling my little watercolor paintings on Etsy, and, to my delight, my loved ones started buying them for $5 apiece! I even got a few commissions, so I knew I was going places. 😊
I participated in my very first art show - well, it was more of a holiday market. But, none the less, I was so excited to show off my paintings! I wore a pretty dress and red lipstick, bought fresh flowers and a pink carpet - I was ready.
I sold one tiny print to a little girl and that was the best sale I ever made.
The Beginning
Sincerely,
Anna
Your writing inspires me.