For Jeanne - Fun with M. Graham watercolors

I posted recently about switching over to M. Graham watercolors (which, bless the folks at M. Graham, don't dry rock hard when left in my palette like most other watercolor paints do) and then posted a color chart I'd made with my new working colors. Various comments were left on my blog about the paints and the chart (thank you so much.... visits and comments are most welcome and appreciated) including one comment left by my dear friend, Jeanne, whom I've dubbed "CA". She's in California..... hence the nickname.

What she said was - and I quote - "Hurray you posted. Now post something you painted. lol"

Hmmm. Kind of ups the ante, doesn't it? Jeanne is acquainted with my unfortunate tendency to get sidetracked with all kinds of worthy distractions and then my painting time gets short shrift. But now she'd thrown down the gauntlet! My honor was at stake! (well, not really... but painting time was).

Thus motivated to push aside the excuses, distractions, delays and all other spoilers of art time, I jumped in and started painting. And loved it. I experimented with pen, ink & watercolor (something I've always loved the look of and meant to try out "sometime") by doing a couple of windows and brickwork; did the vase of roses in an uncharacteristically loose style; had fun with the thatched house, lemon pie and the Dove chocolate (and if you're thinking I bet she ate the chocolate the minute she finished painting it... you'd be right.... the paint wasn't even dry before the chocolate had disappeared).

Thanks Jeanne for the nudge... I needed it!