Have things to do but you never get round to it?? You're not on your own, I'm just the same, along with many others out there.
Well, this morning I had a shock when by 9am I'd had a lovely time with the Lord reading from the book of Acts in the Bible, I'd put the dry laundry away, hoovered each room, cleaned the fire, had breakfast and several cuppas, looked through some old photos from our 2013 Europe cycle trip on the PC, emptied my weary handbag, gave it a good wash in the bucket then hung it to dry, and..............big drum roll please............. got a few sketching items together and actually put them in my new "sketch bag" that's been hanging in the wardrobe empty since mum bought it in December for me.
Looks like today is definitely Beat Procrastination Day for me.
It does help that the sun is gloriously shining and we slept right through until 6am!
TIME TO BREAK IN THAT UNSPOILT PRISTINE SKETCHBOOK....
With house work done and sketch bag packed, there were no excuses left why I shouldn't do my first ever sketchbook painting. It was time to head out for our morning walk and make a first entry in my very blank watercolour sketchbook. Here's what I packed...
Travel paint set with in built pallet, my handmade sketch book, and a pencil case containing a pencil, rubber, tissue, scrap testing paper, travel paintbrush and a little spray bottle of water from a cosmetic travel kit. I also have a small plastic tub for putting water in. The plastic bag is just to put the paints in after use, to keep everything else inside the bag clean!
All set and ready to go! (All those zip pockets are great. this really makes a good sketch bag as it's waterproof and weighs next to nothing on it's own.)
It was lovely and sunny when we set off for The Nothe, one of our several walks we enjoy to feed the squirrels and see the many flowers in bloom. So many different kinds of daffodils are out there at the moment, it's so beautiful.
Ah we saw this sweet little thing having a bath, very brave as there was a bit if a chill factor rising!!
Then the weather took a turn, the sun disappeared behind a big clump of grey clouds, and the wind turned very icy blowing in from the sea. I hadn't thought to bring some fingerless gloves, a thermal flask and a duvet! Brrr!!!!
After wandering round the unusually empty benches for a while trying to find a sheltered spot, we had to admit defeat and settle for taking some photographs to work from at home. Our stroll turned into a march as we headed back to have a nice warm brew.
Never mind, still, the blank sketch book was to have it's first entry even if it was indoors!!
The advantage of painting from home is that you can plan your sketchbook page layout with less haste I suppose. I decided I would do a two page spread so I printed off a few photos that I'd taken off my phone and figured out how they would look together in my book.
I had to include the sweet little bathing bird!! And I wanted to leave space for a quote I had found by C.S. Lewis in procrastination, as a reminder of the significance of the first painting in the book.
I'm pleased with the results, even if it wasn't painted on the spot, which was the plan. It's not my usual way of painting at all! But I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to practising more landscape scenes which are completely new to me, and a real challenge. After painting wildlife for 7 years, it's time to learn something new :)
Is today going to be your Beat Procrastination Day too?? Go on, leap up and do something that you've been putting off for ages!
Ruth xx
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