Writing about art begets picking up a brush

This past Saturday started out like many other muggy mornings, the sliding glass door fogging up at the bottom and the coffee too hot but desperately needed. But it ended as no other Saturday had before it -- with my own oil painting drying on the table!

After many years of admiring the artist's process, I finally got the chance to put a brush in my own hand, and it was a wonderful experience. For me, the morning was much more about the experience of painting with a great teacher and great classmates Holly Thorpe and Mona Floyd, than it was about doing anything "wrong" or even "right."

Karen Hagan was a wonderful instructor with practical tips that broke down the creative process. And to see how she lays out a painting composition was reward enough, but when we got to the palette itself, I was able to put some of her tips into practice. The bonus was being able to smear, mix and fill my brush with the saturated colors on my palette. I was all about the palette.

And, of course, we all want to paint again. I am dreaming of Karen's fall workshop at Lake Garda. There are still at least four spots left ...