“I really believe that if you practice enough, you could paint the ‘Mona Lisa’ with a two-inch brush.– Bob Ross, American painter, art instructor, and television host
In the first year of the pandemic, a work colleague encouraged me to do something artistic to help pass the time and stay sane during lockdown. She emailed me a few pictures of some craft projects she had done with her grandchildren – I was instantly inspired!
I can’t remember how I arrived at my decision, but I decided to try my hand at painting. Given my lack of artistic skill (which is on full display in my Christmas Cookies post), I elected to go the paint-by-numbers route for its structure and guidance.
I went online, ordered a kit marked with an ‘Easy’ degree of difficulty, and anxiously awaited its delivery. When it finally arrived in the mail, I unpackaged the contents: 25 numbered paint pots, 4 paint brushes, a sheet of canvas, an instruction sheet, a reference sheet, and a wooden display hanger.
My heart started to palpitate as I examined the canvas more closely. There were 622 numbered sections, many of them miniscule. I thought to myself, “This is ‘Easy’? What have I gotten myself into?”
Flash forward a year or so. I’m still enjoying ‘painting,’ but mostly in the triathlon off-season (i.e. fall/winter), when the weather lends itself to more indoor pursuits. Here are the pieces I’ve attempted to date and what I think I’ve learned with each one…
1. “Poppies”
This is my first piece – I love its vibrant colours! I fumbled through the basics, just familiarizing myself with acrylic paint. Afterwards, I did sense a few things were “off” as far as shading and composition go. Nonetheless, after I finished this piece, I declared (in the most pretentious tone possible) to my sister, “I am now an artiste.” She played along with the joke and gifted me the talking Bob Ross bobblehead and desktop calendar that appear at the top of this post.
2. “East Coast”
I was quite excited when I bought this kit as I thought the skyline would lend itself to some experimentation with the blending of colours. However, I never completed the piece. I stopped shortly after starting because the image reminded me of people and relationships that made me incredibly sad at that time. I guess I can say that I learned about the strong visceral connection to art. That, and it’s hard to make white paint look smooth and even!
3. “Honu”
On the heels of the previous experience, I chose this piece because I knew it would lift my spirits. I’ve loved sea turtles since the first time I got up-close to one in the waters around Hawaii. In painting this piece, I started to develop a sense of appropriate brush size, optimal paint thickness, and the amount of paint needed to evenly cover a canvas. I also started to pay attention to how different colours interact.
4. ” Musical Monkey”
This is my first abstract image. It was a labour of love for my hubby, who wanted something for his office/music room. Although I thought this piece was a bit ridiculous (like prints of dogs playing poker), he’s quite fond of it. I spent far more time on it than needed, trying to get it perfect. It seemed like there was always something to touch up. In the end, I learned there’s no such thing as perfect in the arts – you just have to let go in the end!
5. “Koi”
This is a work-in-progress. Because I spent so much time on “Musical Monkey,” I chose a much smaller piece (about 8.5” x 11” or one-fourth the size of the preceding pieces) for quicker gratification. Unlike all of the preceding pieces, this one is printed on what I believe is called canvas embossed cardboard. So far, I’m learning that acrylic paint adheres a bit differently to it. Since this is a simpler kit with fewer paint pots, I’ll also have to mix paint colours for the first time. Fingers crossed that it goes well!
I also have a piece lined up for the winter that I’m quite excited about. It’s in a completely different colour palette than anything I’ve done so far. I sense that it will be an incredibly meaningful piece to me for several reasons. Check back in the late winter for an update!
While I doubt that I’ll ever create my own original paintings (writing is more my medium), I do enjoy having another diversion that doesn’t involve screens, since I spend the bulk of my workday staring at one. Plus research shows that practicing ‘the arts,’ however you define that term, engages our minds in a novel way, promotes mindfulness, flow (or as athletes say, “being in the zone”), and mental health. Who couldn’t use more of that?!
P.S. For original paintings, check out the AMAZING artwork of my fellow triathletes Gail Flint and Bing Phung (@bing_artworks)!
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