Saturday's Workshop

I did some shopping today. First at the dollar store and then at Michaels Craft Store. I will be going to a watercolor workshop on Saturday for 6 1/2 hours. I hope to make it thru the whole time, but it will depend on how my leg holds out. I had to get the supplies for the class. I couldn't find a couple of the items. I have no idea what a Robert Simmons Goliath #36, 789 series brush is. I didn't find it.

It has been some time since I oil painted. I think most tubes of paint at that time were $3-$7. Not too many were more than that. I have bought only little kits of paint since that time. I have one for watercolor, water based oils, and acrylics. But I had no idea how much paint prices had gone up. And for watercolor, at Michaels, they only had the little sample sized tubes. Those were about $4. I used to get those for about a dollar. And I thought painting was expensive back then (late 70s and 80s).

It's just like clothing patterns. I used to buy any pattern that I really liked. A lot of time I never used them. By the time I looked them over again, I didn't like them any longer. Or I made (or started) an outfit and didn't like the pattern. Money for the pattern and material down the drain. Now for the price of the material and pattern, it is cheaper to buy clothes already made.

I remember when patterns were only a few dollars. We thought it was awful that Vogue patterns were so much more (about $10). Now the other patterns are that much or more. We didn't buy many Vogue patterns back then. It was just McCalls or Simplicity.

When I made my clothes back then, it was so that I could have more clothes. They were cheaper to make. I worked at a bank and many of the young girls would buy a new outfit almost every Friday to wear.

Now I make my tops because I can't find ones that fit right. Sleeves are too short, the bottom is too short, and they are tight across the hip and bust. Do the designers really think they want to see bodies like mine in short shirts with excess stomach showing underneath? Hardly likely. And I would rather be covered. I don't want to scare myself every time I walk past the mirror.

But as art came into my life, my other interests went out the door. I have little time for crochet, knitting, sewing, or reading. When I am not doing art, I am usually on the computer researching art or looking at art. As my hands have a lot of arthritis, the crafts became painful to do. I am so lucky that it isn't causing a problem yet with my art.

I am anxiously awaiting the workshop. It is being held by one of my plein air buddies at the Art Association that we belong to.