Do You Implement Daily Practices? : Watercolor Practice
Couch Talk
Do you implement daily practices? I am all about lists and goals but I have found that my personality tends to get bored or discouraged easily. I see this a lot in my creative practice as I bounce around from one type of art form to another. I get excited to try something taht I have dreamed up and when it doesn’t turn out, I give up. Rarely do I have one art form that I do longer than 6 months. I always come back to them all but usually it takes a while. Some of my creative art forms are knitting, sewing, mixed media, watercolor, drawing, story writing, home decorating and baking. So far, baking, and mixed media are the ones that I have stuck with the longest.
Lately, I have been pondering what I am going to do when my children are all in school. I could go back to nursing, but I found it to be SO stressful in the 8 years I practiced that now I want to do something creative. I would love to make money doing what I love (wouldn’t we all) but after looking it over, I have found that I am not great at any one thing. Sure, I am good at a lot of things but I am not good at any ONE thing. And for the first time in my life that bothers me. Does that mean I am having a mid-life crisis?
I need to be better at making longer term goals and sticking to them, so this year, I want to get better at some kind of art form and find my creative style.
Baking
My new sourdough recipe to try this week was these Golden Sourdough Biscuits. (you can click on the name to get to the recipe) Some of you have asked where I get my sourdough recipes. All of them are online, either from FB groups or searching for recipes. If the recipe is online I will link the recipe and it will show up in blue. My family liked the biscuits and they were very easy and quick to make. I like that there was no proofing time.
I decided to be adventurous for lunch one day and I made two trays of these mini pizza’s made from sliced bread. They were a hit and very easy to make. I found out that two of my children love mushrooms and one does not.
Another new recipe was these Ginger Cardamom Lemon Bars. That may sound like a strange spice combination for lemon bars and I admit, I had reservations that my hubby would like them but they were gone in a few days. My husband loved the texture of the crust and he thought the filling was really creamy compared to other lemon bar recipes I have tried. I will definitely be making these again. The recipe is found in my new cookbook, The Honeysuckle Cookbook.
Watercolor: Food
The food and flower market (very first picture), are lessons completed from The Joy of Watercolor: 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You.
The muffins and brie are practice from a tutorial on Youtube.
The ice cream cone is practice from the below photograph.
Watercolor: Daily Practice
In an effort to improve my drawing and painting skills I have started a daily practice of setting a timer for 30 minutes and painting something. Anything. It can be from a photo, real life or just from my imagination. I have only been doing this for 2 weeks but I have already started to see improvement. I want to share my weekly photos here as a way to keep accountable. So here is my first weeks daily practice in order, day 1-7.
Tea Day
I am joining the tea ladies hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. My tea today is Tealyra – Cherry Goddess – Fruity Herbal Loose Leaf Tea. I haven’t tried this tea but it sounds delicious and I added it to my wish list. Cherries are one of my favorite fruits and I bet they would be very tasty in tea.
What about you, have you had cherry tea?
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
I know what you mean about making art a main part of your life. I think to be successful you almost have to pick one kind so people get to know you and your work. But on the other hand, it is so much fun to try new things . Even if they aren’t what you end up doing a lot, they do help you develop skills. I think about it I should specialized in one thing sometimes. I feel bad that I don’t really want to because I feel like I will never be more than someone just playing. OK, I have now answered your question and said probably too much for a post. I think your baking looks delicious. Especially those lemon bars. It sounds like an interesting spice combo. And I like seeing all your watercolors too. Sorry for the babbling. Hope you have a great T day and the start of May. hugs-Erika
Your work is beautiful and your style shines through each piece. Oh my gosh, you’re so talented! I hope all your wishes come true to earn a living doing what you love . In the mean while your journey looks pretty wonderful to me.
I get you about the art and creative thoughts. And I’ve just decided to enjoy the ride- wherever it takes me- with no expectations. Your baking is superb, but then so is your watercolor art- especially the food ones. the muffins and brie are my very favorite today!! hey….you could illustrate a cookbook for someone;)
That cherry goddess tea sounds really good. Enjoy, and happy T day!
The last image is splendid — I love the red leaves against the paler background.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
6 months is not bad!!!
Still haven´t started with the watercolors. Stores are still closed, also.
Hmmm, Pizza.
Love your paintings. Don´t think I´ll achieve anything like that.
Cherry-tea indeed sounds yummy, haven´t seen it before. Happy T-Day, hope it´s as yummy as it sounds.
I agree you have to be interested in the work you perform. I heard a great saying, if you love what you are doing, you will never work a day in your life. For me, it was getting an advanced degree. Maybe you could take some classes at a local university or college to further your education. I agree that nursing is stressful. I did a study of nurses stations in a grad school class. One thing I couldn’t control was the amount of stress they felt. I could help them control the amount of paperwork they had to fill out each time they visited a patient.
You are a great baker. I bet people would pay for your skills. I really like the looks of those rolls.
Your tea sounds great. It reminds me of the Very Cherry I purchased at the Spice Merchant. Thanks for sharing your lovely paintings, your baking, and your tea you hope to buy with us for T this Tuesday, Kate.
Your water colours are all delightful, and your cooking and baking are also looking great. You have a lot of talents. I hope you find a good idea for a good job. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie
You are so talented with your sewing, art, baking and painting that you could do anything creative that you set your mind too! It’s important to enjoy what you do work wise. My friends have said I should sell some of my art and cards but that may spoil the fun of creating for me, I hope you find a solution that incorporates your creative side 😊. I enjoyed seeing your baking which all looks delicious and your paintings are so beautiful, you always create so much detail. Take care and Happy T Day! Hugs, Jo x
Your watercolours are beautiful, so realistic, that’s something I wish I could do but I’ve had to admit that I’m not talented in that way.
I know what you mean about not being brilliant at one thing, I can do many things but nothing that I excelled at, my husband laughs at me as he really doesn’t see that as a problem.
Happy T Day
Jan x
Lovely art – I really love it all! I need to practice my drawing and watercoloring more. Your food creations look fabulous – I want to try the pizza bread!
Have not had cherry tea but going to Amazon right now to see what options they have – lol. I am a sucker for new teas!
Maybe you could do something with food/art AND your nursing background – nutritional counseling or doing seminars on art therapy. I am guessing you will come up with something amazing.
Happy T day!
It’s a shame nursing was so stressful, but I imagine the environment would be even more stressful these days. Your watercolors are lovely. We used to make little pizzas with English muffins. That was tasty 🙂 I’ve never had cherry tea, but it sounds good. Happy T Tuesday!
A very lovely post. I love lemon and cardamon. I use cardamon a lot. Your paintings are beautiful and so nice to set aside the time to create. Have a nice day.
I think through our lives we are constantly reinventing ourselves as skills and interests grow. As to good or not good, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. I enjoyed all your food paintings. Delicious to the eye and kind to the waist. the Eldest loves mushrooms and the Young One does not. Happy T Day
Your watercolours are fabulous Kate! The muffins and brie are my favourites, but that may be because I love both to eat!! I was lucky when it came to my time to go back to work as the school where I used to teach rang me and asked if I wanted some supply work filling in for teachers off sick, which led to me going back full time teaching Special Needs children again, which I loved. Maybe think about a different branch of nursing? Sorry not to be of much help, now I have been retired for around 12 years! Hugs, Chrisx
You had me at Ginger Cardamom Lemon Bars! They look and sound wonderful. Your water colors are beautiful! No matter what you decide to do in your life, I know you will be successful.
Your water coloring is beautiful. Continue to learn that skill until you get fed up with it. Then you will have learnt another skill, to come back to as and when.
I thought your mixed media stuff was really good. But could you sell that? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could make a living doing what you love. (Nursing is stressful. I know that as I nursed for most of my adult life.) I’m sure you would make a success of it, what ever you decide to do.
Our daughter in law has recently started a business making cakes. She has been going for a year now and she is doing really well. (http://www.gourmetmum.tv/cakes)
I’m with you with the to-do list. I make a list every day. It includes the things I do every day like phoning mum, Bible reading, diary, tend sourdough herman, and things that are different every day like what we eat, appointments, shopping list, write or comment blog. etc.
Yes, having a daily practice really will help to improve your skill, so keep doing it every day. Doesn’t have to take long.
Happy belated T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
I enjoy how you combine watercolor and recipes. I really can’t pick my favorite watercolor because I like them all-I think your idea of setting a timer for 30 minutes is inspiring . I might try it . I keep wanting to meditate but I rarely do. Maybe I need to just set a time and sit for 15 minutes…