My friend, Shantyl, recently told me in so many words that I was a chickenshit because while she likes my paintings, she feels like I paint too much for the approval of others. I fret about "getting it right." In so many words, other people have said something similar, but she is the most recent. So I remembered a book that I had purchased a long time ago and had later lost called Life, Paint, and Passion. The gist of the book is: Leave judgment behind and just let the brush do what it wants. Process, not product, is what they preach. I've wanted to make some cards for people. I hope to get into the habit of painting cards for people, but time is always a factor with that. But since we're celebrating a birthday tomorrow, and it happens to be Jackie's (my separated wife), I spent time tonight painting cards with the boys.   Austin's and Jacob's, respectively. And I painted mine. Something I've wanted to do for a while with acrylics is to just use a huge brush and paint swaths of color on paper, carefree and radiant. So I decided to use this as the background for some cards. I did four.     I plan to get back to one of these and then go in a different direction with pen and ink. I'd bought the ink last year with the anticipation of doing more with them because words matter to me and I'd like to make them part of my paintings. But I've been, as in Shantyl said (though in a kinder way), a chickenshit. This then is part of my stepping out. I'm not an abstract artist, but I do really like the swirls of color and the texture of the brush. So I'll see where this leads. But it's part of my voice - whether anyone likes it or not - lol. I'll go with this... because it was fun. ETC: And my first acrylic card is finished.  I like the idea... I'll see how the others turn out. MORE ETC: Wanted to add a couple of shapes to two of them.   Fun :) Later today, I'll return to my current painting and work on that. | 
