It's a New Year - are you ready to learn?

Hello my dear friends and welcome to 2011!!

I hope you have all had a safe and wonderful festive period.  We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day with family and friends, as well as a wonderful holiday period enjoying bike riding, walking, relaxing and a trip to the coast for some absolutely stunning weather with my parents before New Years...it was the perfect end to 2010.

As always, the beginning of the year harks the time to make resolutions and to set personal goals. I have one resolution this year that will help me achieve my goals, one of which relates to an original intention for this blog: sharing "How to's" on painting.

For a variety of reasons I have always put it off and I came to realise that what I was doing was procrastinating: I had so many good reasons to NOT start. The truth is, one word held me back: FEAR.

So my New Years resolution is to put that little bad guy to bed. In order to do that I will question him, answer him, then sweep him out the door.

Please feel free to grab a cuppa while I set this little guy straight.

What do I fear...

1. whether there is any value with what I have to share;
2. someone will say that it isn't true/correct/right;
3. failure;
4. lack of interest.

 Erghhhh, isn't Fear a nasty little grey mass of fluff sitting there on my floor like a giant dust bunny!

Well, let me answer all those little taunts that Fear likes to throw at me, particularly in the wee hours of the morning:

Is there any value in what I have to share:
I have had plenty of affirmation over the years from people that what I can do is good. That where others need to work at it, I can do it easily. I have been told that art is my gift.  Whilst I wish for the things I so admire in others, like;

• singing well at all; 
• being less gormless playing sports;
• being extremely organised through a bit hard yakka (work)

I CAN do this and I LOVE helping others enjoy painting: it is something I have done whenever I have had the chance, so why not extend it further. So is there value: yes! For me and for anyone who would like to participate.

What if someone says something is wrong, etc etc etc. Then I will embrace it as a learning exercise like all other times I have been redirected with art. I don't know everything and will never claim to know everything: so it will be as much a learning experience for me as for others.

What if I fail? I will fail only by NOT trying. Failure is Fear's favourite taunt: a big wall that I often throw down before myself; that 'voice of reason' that stops me doing something new, just in case I fail. Whilst I have no measure for this failure,...I can't quantify it; I know it stops me. So, in answer to that question: I will not fail, by just taking a step forward. Then another step...and onwards until that voice can't be heard anymore.

And what if no one is interested? Well, time can only tell. But I won't know unless I try, right?!

Alrighty, that's sorted: excuse me while I take the rubbish out.

And now I am back!!

So, the first lesson will be on painting with a mixture of water colours, acrylics and pencils similar to this painting that I did for my Mum for Christmas.

I would like to get everything together and sorted here at the White Canvas before I go much further - I would like to do some "New Year" cleaning on my blog - then I should be ready to go in a week.

So stay tuned my lovelies - let me know if you have any particular questions, fears of your own or needs in preparation for taking on this exciting challenge. I love questions, so please ask away!!

Big hugs to you all - I am really excited about our year ahead together.

Cath
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