In the Studio

No adequate description encapsulates such bliss. This evening is my first in the watercolor studio in over a week. Behind me, on the TV, I listen to the beautiful BBC presentation of "The Impressionists: Genius is Seeing the World in a Different Light." I just purchased it on two DVDs. The narration, dramatic script and music are beautiful enough, even when I'm not watching but only listening while I paint. When I do turn around and look, my eyes are overcome with the light and color.

Before me, a couple of sketches begin to take shape. One is of a solitary tree that I tried to bathe in Matisse-type colors. I also threw unorthodox colors in the shadows on the grass. A nice change for me. One of the gallery visitors on opening night, a retired watercolor teacher from Hill County College, was overheard telling another patron that I "was afraid of color." I find that amusing, seeing that my subject matter mirrors that of Andrew Wyeth. Maybe he is afraid of color as well. At any rate, I see little color in rusted automobiles, abandoned frame buildings, and winter ground cover.

Nevertheless, this pair of sketches before me are taken from Texas summer settings, and therefore will employ plenty of green, and who knows what I might throw into the shadows. For now, they are only sketches, but maybe they will lead somewhere. At the very least, they have filled my mind and soul with a sense of bliss this night.