Fun with paints - updated Feb 28...

Over the Christmas period we started talking to people in the pool about art. There are a lot of galleries in PV and there are art exhibits and art “walks” that happen every couple of weeks or so. We went out to enjoy some of that just for fun, and it started us thinking about painting as something to do for retirement.

Then we found out that there are a lot of people in our complex who like to paint as a hobby. After a lot of discussion and splashing about in the pool, most people suggested that it would be easiest for us to learn to use acrylic paints (easy to apply, easy clean up, readily available and relatively cheap). OK let's give it a go. I went out and bought some acrylic paint supplies. My first tries were awful - I failed miserably – I was trying to apply the paint like they were water color paints – no bueno..... I needed help and it was certainly obvious when I reluctantly showed those first attempts to the pool gang.

One of the ladies (Heidi) really inspired us and invited us to her home as she said she would show us how to work with acrylic paints. Cyndi said she would like to try painting too – that was good for me as then I didn't have to go at it alone. We went out and bought Cyndi a starter kit too and then set ourselves up with a session with Heidi. Heidi was very good at explaining how to use these paints as they are quite different from working with water color or oil paints. She gave us many tips on the steps to take to create an image from start to finish, and useful hints on brushes and mixing paint, to paper and canvas application. After that we were on our own as Heidi went back to the US. We can still hear her in our ear each time we get out our paints. :-)

Other people from pool invited us to join them for art / painting classes at the local community center and have some fun doing it. It cost $100 pesos to join and then $250 pesos per month thereafter. We were able to pay on a monthly basis and thought that might be best in case we totally sucked. The small investment gave us 8 classes per month and each class is 4 hours long. Awesome! The venue has the tables, chairs, and easels, and also some minor supplies if you run out of the stuff you already own.

Brian and Barb each live in their own units at Loma del Mar and they are long time painters with annual membership at the cultural center. They showed us around and introduced us to their friends at the class. It was good to have someone there that we knew to help us along. They encouraged us to be brave and said we should just start applying paint and not care what others thought as that is how you learn. Many of the other painters offered suggestions and healthy / constructive criticism and we were grateful. Both of us started to feel a bit more confident and enjoyed being there. It was also great to find out that the "cookie lady" comes around to each session and we can buy fresh baked short bread cookies! Yummy!

We chose our own subject matters, simple at first, and only asked for help from the instructor from time to time. Making mistakes was easy but then so was correcting them as the paint dried quickly and could be over-painted again and again. Some of my creations are pretty thick!

The public have access to the painting area and they come to peek at paintings all the time – cruise ship day is really busy and it gets somewhat eerie having people stand and stare over your shoulder at what you are doing.

I really don't know what happened but somehow I started spewing out paintings one after the other. I chose interesting tropical subjects at first as they were “different” and held my interest. It was fun. Macaws, tropical beaches, toucans, humming bird on tropical flowers (a challenge from Brian), the PV cathedral, and then I got brave and tried to paint my first portrait – Cyndi. I think I will stay away from portraits for a while now...

Patty suggested that I paint some vegetables as she thought she might like to have that on her kitchen wall if they looked any good. Cyndi liked it so much when I was done that she said she didn't want me to give it away. Oh-oh... Patty will get to have it after the art show – see more on the art show below.

Jenny asked me to paint her dogs. It inspired me to paint many dogs that magically looked OK. It was probably the crappy paint brush that started to wear out that worked so well as it was able to paint fur texture really well. Then people started asking me to paint their dogs, and one lady said she would pay me! OMG. I had no response for her as I didn't know what to say / charge her / react to her. It took a few days for me to realize that I should try this but then the pressure would be on. In the meantime, our instructor organized an art exhibit for February 27 when all of our paintings would be displayed for viewing by all class members and the public. On the same date, we were asked to help with a fashion show in support of the Colina Spay and Neuter Clinic which spays and neuters dogs and cats all over PV.

My dog paintings (the painting I did of Troy's dog, Dee-O-Gee, is posted here) are going to be hung as demo's, and, as a raffle item, I have and offered my services to paint a dog picture (from a photo) for the highest bidder. I am a bit nervous about this as everything has to be right about the photo.... So, back to the lady who said she would pay me. I suggested to her that she should attend the fashion show and bid on the raffle as the proceeds would go to the spay and neuter clinic. I think she will do that but I also promised her that I would paint her doggie if she didn't win the raffle. Someone in our complex will be bidding too – they have a chihuahua and want him painted. Anyway.... all of this is getting kinda complicated and a bit stressful. It's supposed to be fun. Gulp!

Cyndi has been happily and quietly going about the business of enjoying painting and is careful to select her own subjects that she will enjoy without suggestions from others or showing them to others. I could learn something from her.

More to follow.....

February 28 update - the fashion show was a big success. Cyndi and I were standing up for 6 hours and our feet were very happy to drop into the pool when we were done. My silent auction painting sold for $150US with 100% going to the Colina Spay and Neuter charity. Now the pressure is on to do a good job painting it. :-)

Several other people asked me to do a painting of their dog and now it looks like I will be busy for a while.

That evening, the art show was a lot of fun and there were many visitors who came to see the work done by all of the students. Cyndi and I posted many pictures on Facebook and there are a lot of really great paintings by artists who are there from all over the world.

After the show, Troy and Patty got their paintings and I hope they will frame them and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed painting them. :-)