Things I don't "Get" and one thing I do

There are a few things over the years, that on greater thought, I just don't "get".

It's not that I think they're wrong, or anyone is wrong doing them, I just don't get the reasoning behind it if you really sit and spend some time thinking about it.

For example:

I really don't get music.  (I'm obviously the only one.)  I say this as someone that was in choir for years, one of those years being swing choir.  It's not that I don't really get it, it's more the logic behind it.  Think about it - we make a ruckus on noiseboxes like guitars, drums and violins, then we shoot frilly words out of our mouths at the same time.... and we idolize those that do it well.  Heck we devote entire shows to it.  If you stop and think about it, it's very *strange*.

Since we're talking about strange, let's talk about dancing.  There's something else that if you think about the concept of dancing (throwing your body around the room in time with *music*) it just seems so odd.  Proof in point, look at a photo of someone dancing, it always seems kind of crazy looking.

Something else I find kind of weird, is humans needs to domesticate an animal and call it a pet.  What thought process did someone have to capture a wild dog, tame it, and then invite the wild animal into their home?  Or worse yet, a wild CAT, with it's sharp claws and pissy, uppity attitude?   Who thought THAT was a good idea? (not saying I don't like the outcome - I have a pissy cat and an uppity cat that rule this house).

I've also thought sports were strange.  Not only do a bunch of guys get together and throw around some sort of ball (unless it's soccer and they kick it around), but people clamor to watch it, and to top it all of we pay millions to players in the process.

Does that not seem *weird* from the outside looking in?

But there's one thing I know I've always been able to "get".

Art.

The idea of seeing something beautiful that pleases the eye, and the need to take it home and put it on the wall completely resonates with me.  The need to *create* it has always been there for me since I was a small child.

When I was a young kid, my mom became a painter (oils) and she taught me how to paint.  While other kids in Jr. High were getting allowances, I was selling simple paintings of unicorns (hey it was the 80's).  I would also sell drawings for $2.00 to my friends (and sold a ton of them), so it was no shocker that much of my high school time was sitting in Mr. Hunt's art room creating whatever the latest assignment was.

Sculpture, acrylic paintings, things made with plaster were common themes.  Our senior year we had no assignments - we just created whatever we wanted to create.  One thing that always stuck with me was watercolors.

I've come to realize over the years that watercolors are some of my very favorites.  That soft feeling with transparent layers of colors leaves me imagining what the scene really looked like.

Gene and I are members of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, MO.  Obviously I've always been a fan of art, but on his own, gene has acquired an affinity for art also.  While I'm a fan of impressionism, Gene loves the renaissance style. 

Our house is maybe ... a little hodge podge.

Anyway, right before Christmas, the museum announced a watercolor class for adults and I told Gene that's what I wanted for Christmas.

Last Tuesday, I went to my first art class in *cough*20*cough* years.
I was the second to the youngest person there.
It was fun!

We learned a few techniques, came home with a little bird painting we made and I've been painting up a storm since.

Every day it's something new - sometimes I'm finding artwork of other artists and trying to copy it (it's a good lesson), or maybe trying to figure out a technique.  My second painting since the 80's, was the starfish above.

I love feel of the water and the paint. I love how it flows, and letting it do it's own thing is part of the art.  It's like the paper is creating the art, and you're there just watching to see what it creates.

Yesterday I made this goldfinch, my favorite bird (inspired by the work of another artist) and it got me to thinking about an old dream of writing and illustrating a children's book someday.

So I think I will.

I need a theme.

Who's with me?

I have a long, LONG way to go and it's probably something I would just make for myself and call it done.  But it would be a wonderful thing to pass down to my own kids and grandkids.

Then there's that part were I become a millionare and people fall in love with me.

You know... more than you already do.

:0)

Hush.