Picking up a Brush Again

Watercolor has really gone into a slump around here the past few months - as can be seen by what I turn out when picking up a brush again.

I do realize that the high inflammation and pain levels which hit me each autumn play a big part in disconnecting brain from fingertips. Creativity can't be forced when it is hard to simply draw breath or sit normally due to pain. But more closely observing a bit of beauty while watching the flow and mingle of watercolors is still so therapeutic that I want to push through this slump and see what can come of it.

The first Sunday afternoon of December marked the start of this experiment. When a quick attempt at our first amaryllis of the season failed miserably, I turned to a favorite tutorial by Camilla Damsbo to gain inspiration again. 

It forced me to loosen up, speed up, and use more water... which was much-needed in our bone-dry winter home. And while the results are still far from what I envisioned, it brought some joy back to the process.

Then a Monday afternoon walk to the compost pile through the cold, crunching snow gave me a sunset view to try. As subtle as our winter skies can be, it was fun to try a mix of techniques for this little landscape.

The second Sunday I tried adding ink lines to the Damsbo poppies piece (as shown in the tutorial here)...

...before tackling our favorite succulents for a second time. 

Not happy with the results (rough, hard edges and too dark on the lightest values), I went back to knitting my handspun wool for the rest of the afternoon! 

So, though it still takes a strong will to pull out the paints and brushes, knowing I won't find even the so-so results I was used to some months ago, I hope to keep finding ways to make the process more enjoyable again.