Linda is a neighbor who generously and graciously hosts watercolor classes once a week during the “high season” here in my neighborhood in Pescadero. This talented woman is an excellent teacher too; with enthusiasm she guides her students and informs us about the particulars of the medium. You can see here work here: http://lcorbetgallery.com

Learning to paint is a long and difficult process, but it has been so rewarding and fun! I want to stress that fun part. Even though in the last few days I have done 3 paintings and thrown them away because they were awful, I enjoyed every moment of the experience. I’m learning. I’m pushing myself. It is fun!

I probably ought to have taken photos of my failures to show, but I threw them out before I could get out the camera. Oh well.

But of course I took photos of the ones I think turned out worthy of a photo. And I can share those. Maybe my ego stops me from putting out my awful paintings. Of course. It is something to think about though, and next time I might snap a shot, and if I have enough courage, I can show them.

Learning from one’s mistakes and failures is important. Those are the lessons that help one improve. The work is still fun, even when they don’t turn out well. All positive reasons to keep at it.

Here are the ones that didn’t get tossed in the waste basket:

A lot of what I attempt comes from my photos. The Baja is a beautiful place, and here where the desert meets the Pacific Ocean, the natural scenes fill my heart with gratitude and joy.

As I age, which seems to be happening at an alarming rate these days, I appreciate everything in my environment more than ever. Even though there are some not-so-wonderful things like pests–cockroaches live in my palm trees, and these tiny flying insects that are known locally as bo bos surround your face and sometimes you inhale them. They impede any kind of gardening work you might want to do. Mosquitos are buzzing that high pitch sound in your ears, sometimes while you are sleeping. But these last two insects are seasonal, not here all the time. Thank goodness. Dealing with them is a small price to pay to live in this magical place.

I’ll leave you with a few more photos of my attempts to paint the goodness that is Baja.

When I paint skulls, I use acrylic paints. I don’t usually have much of a plan, I just start and let the skull tell me what to do.

My wish for you is that your life be as full of fun as mine.

When we moved here 9 years ago, I didn’t know much about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). I have come to learn what a special way it is to remember loved ones who have died. My mother passed at 103 on March 20, 2019, so this is my first altar for her. I can’t visit the Ft. Rosecrans Cemetery as it is in San Diego, but I can see it in my mind; so beautiful, overlooking the harbor.

Mom ate cottage cheese, yogurt, and fruit every day. Yes! EVERY DAY! And she made the best chocolate cookies, and she drank tea, so I put these things on her altar for her. Each item I placed on the altar has special meaning, and of course all the photos are necessary to honor and remember her. Many of the photos show her with family, and they were happy times.

She loved Perry Como, and all the music of her youth, but she came to appreciate a lot of what the family introduced her to: IZ (Hawaiian singer), Eddie Vedder playing the ukulele, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, and more. Music playing here today will make her smile.

Check out this link if you want to know more about Dia de los Muertos. http://dayofthedeadnyc.org/meaning-of-the-day-of-the-dead/