LET THE MAGIC BEGIN

          It feels good to be able to paint artistically again, plus do other things that I was no longer capable of achieving. However, something I've always found a little surprising throughout the years, is that after I've sketched whatever the subject matter may be and the canvas is still devoid of paint, a sense of incapability seems to pervade my being. While I sit and look at the white canvas, pencil marks here, there and everywhere, often just a scribble, I then look at my hands as I reach for a brush and say, "Let the magic begin." And, this painting of the train began no differently and I'm hoping the magic hasn't left me yet.

          My eyesight is quite limited at the moment, but like I told my brother the other day when he phoned to check up on me, "While I paint, my face is so close that my nose almost touches the canvas and it's the same when I mix the paint on the palette. However, although I'm seeing a blurry double line, at least my brush is a double image too, so luckily, everything seems to be lining up so far."  

          I find it frustrating that the painting process has become so slow and I often get angry with myself, even though there is nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping that when the cataract is removed from my right eye on May 27, even though the left eye isn't much better, my eyesight will improve. If nothing else, I'll stop seeing double. And then again, if I'm seeing double and painting double, since there will be two paintings in one, perhaps I should charge double the price - hahaha. 

          Since we went to Fredericton to display some of our art wares yesterday, I had to put off painting the train.  Me (Trip) and Sarah (Daisy) were part of an event and although we broke about even, we weren't discouraged because of the good response we got from the few people that walked through the door. The venue we had signed up for was poorly advertised, if at all. There wasn't even a sign on the street to be seen or any sort of directions as to where it was being held. Perhaps we wasted our time, but for me that doesn't matter because at least it gave me something to do and look forward to while I'm healing. 
          I was really excited about travelling and then staying overnight in our "Hippie-Hangout" and although a touch cool in the night and neither of us didn't sleep so well, we had a lot of fun - perhaps it was the brownies Sarah baked that had something to do with it...hahaha. However, that being said, because I'm still quite a distance from being well and I'm still feeling pretty good since our return, I'm still wondering if our participation will set me back. Not that long ago, just a day in town took me two to four days to recover. However, regardless of the outcome, I've never really been one to sit back and avoid the risks - sometimes living on the edge has its rewards - nothing ventured; nothing gained. 

          One of things which sold well was my haiku colouring book. I haven't turned it into a little chapbook yet but the 8.5"x11" (18 pages to colour) version is now available for ten bucks, plus two bucks shipping. I had fun colouring the front cover and hopefully anyone who buys a copy will find it real cool colouring the hippie inspired images and reading the haiku Trip wrote. 

          Looks like I'm back painting the train again and that's fine by me. While living on my sailboat, I thought I had a small studio area then. Now, one turn in my swivel-chair, I'm facing the painting, next turn I'm facing the computer, next turn I'm facing the bed and the final turn lets me walk away, careful that I don't knock anything over or stumble and fall down. The whole size of my small space is about 6'x8' and as odd as it seems, I don't really feel that enclosed, maybe because my mind like a butterfly flits free...cheers, eh!