Life Lessons with Watercolors + Salt

I've been in a little bit of a creative rut lately.  It's like that for me.  I'm an all or nothing kind of gal and when I'm into something, I'm really into it.  And when that phase passes, I'm totally over it.

Rise Up ~ Aqua + Mustard watercolors + salt

Drawing and painting have been taking a backseat to reading lately.  I've been gobbling up books and enjoying the worlds that they have been transporting me to.  Last week I read this, this, this, this and this.

Worlds Colliding ~ Red + Orange watercolors + Salt

Sitting down to paint today, I experimented with circles, watercolors and salt.  The marbling effect was so fun to see come to life.  I feel like an elementary school student today with this artwork, but I'm okay with that.  I'm embracing my inner child.

Molten Orange Sun ~ Chartreuse + Orange watercolors + salt

If I think too much, then I can't create and I've been in my head a lot these days.  I stopped drinking alcohol for 15 days.  I haven't gone that long since I was 27 years old.  It kind of sounds bad when I lay it out like this, but it's true.  The past 17 years have been filled with celebratory champagne toasts, wine shop ownership and my newfound interest in crafting cocktails at home.

And while I don't want to talk about this issue too much here in this space, I needed to acknowledge it so that I can move on with my life and have the occasional adult beverage without guilt.  I've been marinating myself in words and solitude.  Throwing myself into my role as wife and mother.  Baking, organizing file cabinets and purging closet shelves.  These are my Virgo coping skills and they are well honed from years and years of small disappointments, mistakes, hurt feelings and longing.

When I take the route of organizing the chaos in my life, I am desperately seeking balance.  Most of the time I feel like I'm on a teeter-totter and there is a steady up-and-down, give-and-take with work, family, home and friendships.  However, lately it has felt like someone has unexpectedly jumped off the other end of the teeter-totter and there I go crashing down hard on the dirt floor.  When this happens, I actually like to sit in this place for a little while and think about what has gotten me here.  It's not a pity party per se, but more of a taking stock of things and sifting through my emotions.

I broke my 15 day alcohol-free run the other night and I felt a little bad about it.  Shamed myself most of the day yesterday and now I'm ready to move on.

Sunrise #1 - Blue + Orange watercolors + salt

This last painting is my favorite.

Tumultuous blue waters.

A hopeful sunrise on the horizon.

Salt.  If you are wounded, it can sting - or it can add texture and beauty.  It's all about perspective.

Possibility and new adventures await me.

It's a new day.

Day 2 to be exact.

It looks to be sunshiny & bright.