Waxing Philosophical

Today is my last painting class and I have some homework to do.  We are doing a project involving shading.  Shading is very important, it is critical, it is the pivotal point of a painting.  And I suck at it.  I am working away at my painting, hating it more and more. The thought of ripping up and starting over becoming more and more appealing.  I decided to take a break, have a coffee, play a game of spider solitaire and let the mess dry a bit.  When I went back to look it over, I was amazed at how much it had improved since I left it 15 minutes ago.  Also, standing back from it, it looks a lot better than when I am close up and actually smearing paint on it.  The thought occurs to me that this is a lot of what life is all about.  The distance of time smooths out so many rough brushstrokes.  In the heat of the moment many things I have wanted to "rip up and start over".  Patience and persistence have generally made things work out. (Although this is also a lot like being too stupid to know when to quit!). 

Anyway, that is my great insight into life for today.  I will now patiently and persistently apply yet another coat to the areas that need to be shaded darker.  It is ironic that the colour I am using is named Payne's Grey.

/bye