Borges Ranch Shell Ridge Area, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
My mind was as cloudy as the skies when my plein air group visited Borges Ranch for a Saturday paint out. I was mad because a beautiful bookcase promised to me on Craigslist sold to someone else. I needed it badly. After I donated lots of books along with my rickety old bookcase I still had many I was keeping with no place to put them.
I was too grumpy to hang out with my painting friends so I hiked away from the ranch on the Shell Ridge trail, which is beautiful and quiet except for the sounds of birds. I set up my folding stool and sketched in ink with watercolor washes, facing one direction (above).
Borges Ranch Shell Ridge Open Space, watercolor, 5x8"
Then I turned to face the opposite direction and worked directly in watercolor. I was starting to feel better, enjoying freely painting all the gorgeous colors of spring.
Happy Ending
On the way home from Borges I passed an “Estate Sale” sign and pulled over. Usually estate sales just have a lot of crummy, over-priced furniture, ugly knicknacks, and icky used bathrobes. But this home was huge and completely remodeled, with a master bath better than any spa, a huge dreamy kitchen, and best of all (for me) a home office with TWO bookcases exactly like the ONE I almost bought for $100…and I got them for $20 each! The nice estate sales guy even loaded them in my car for me.
I learned a good lesson: Don’t waste time being grumpy! The second bookcase now holds my cookbooks and gardening books just outside the kitchen which makes them much more accessible than they were before and it looks nice there too.
Nice water color arts. Thanks for sharing Nonoy Manga
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Thank you for taking the time to leave a note! I appreciate it. Jana
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Very nice watercolors. I’ve never actually done plein air watercolor as far as I can remember. I would think it’d get messy easily without a studio setup but you seemed to control it well. 🙂
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It’s a little messy, especially working in a Moleskine sketchbook because the pages want to flap about. And then there’s the wind and dirt that gets in the paints when they’re sitting on the ground…but it’s not that bad, and it’s so nice to be out there in nature (if it’s not freezing, too windy or too hot). I like a cozy studio a lot too. Jana
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So glad your day had a happy ending and you found the bookcases. Lovely watercolor sketches too.
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Yeah great paintings and bargain bookcases. Result!
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How cool to fill your time with nature and paint while the universe figured out a better answer for your bookshelf need. Creativity, storage, and mood progress simultaneously!
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What a great lesson for all of us. Don’t spend time being grumpy, just do what you love. Sometimes the universe acts in synchronicity! And you have two book cases and two great sketches!
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Well done!! God’s nature healed your wounded spirit and you came into two bookcases too! Pretty, pretty paintings of early Spring. Blessings always, C-Marie
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I so agree, Jana- no time for being grumpy! There’s always a positive to every negative. And your pictures are lovely. Congrats on the bookcase finds!
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Thanks Olivia! I’m still happy about the way the day turned out and love the new bookcases. Jana
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