Parts of Art

      I was eagerly, breathlessly waiting outside the door of the 3rd floor painting studio, anticipating my turn at the hallowed easel. There, the renowned and venerable professor would lovingly and patiently teach me how to paint with oils.  Now here I was, in the very studio of my dreams. And all I would hear from the renowned and wise professor was (after a long and awkward pause, her looking over my shoulder)  “Well, finish this one and go on to the next one.”       Embarrassment. Heartbreak. Doubt. Anger. All these stirred up inside me while sitting in front of that easal. How was I to finish this one and go on to the next one when I didn’t know HOW? Could you just SHOW ME HOW?      Looking back now, I fully realize that was the best advice I could’ve gotten at the time. After all, the only way to learn how to paint is to paint, paint, paint and paint some more.   Now that I am a mixed media collage artist, that advice sounds in my mind every time I pain

    Yes it’s true. Fifty shades barely scratches the surface of gray.  Mix black and white paint and you get gray. Big deal, ho hum, boring. Here’s another thought: mix any two complementary colors to white and get gray, which makes the actual number of grays infinite. That, to me, is exciting. No, more than that. It’s inspiring!    My husband and I  thought we were being totally original when we decided to go with a gray and white palette for our guest room. Once we started on that project, however,  it seemed like everyone I met was going with gray and white in their home decor projects. News flash: it’s a trend!        The great thing we discovered about gray and white in a bedroom is that the overall effect is calming. I can go in that room any time of the day and feel peaceful, because the mood is softly undemanding. When on those rare occasions I luxuriate into an afternoon nap, the gray and white room is my go-to place for a deep restful snooze. And on those