Unlike many retirees in Retirement homes, we have a decent sized apartment. Two adjacent apartments were available and we joined them. So on one side there is a living/dining room and kitchen and on the other a spacious bedroom and a small study which lately has tuned into a painting studio. And it is in this microscopic studio that I am producing my masterpieces.
In the beginning I held the canvas on my knees and steadied it with my teeth as I was groping for the tube of green. The pictures were okay but nothing to get excited about. One day I watched my wife wheeling the shopping trolley about and realized I was looking at a possible easel. I used it for a while, managed to splatter red and blue over it while I learned how to keep it from rolling away by using my knees and my foot while painting, leading to some interesting scenes.
Finally I gave in and bought an easel. It is a tripod type and is adjustable to any height and any size canvas. Did I mention that in this studio of mine is also a cupboard along one wall where my wife keeps the overflow clothing that didn’t make it into the bedroom cupboard? So she comes in from time to time to look for an item in the cupboard. The tripod easel is guaranteed to always have at least one leg in the way.
As to the actual painting process which involves brushes, little bottles, a couple of big bottles, palettes, palette knives, various other knives, rulers and scales, and a variety of stuff that has no permanent place nor sits in any order. The rags and paper towels are never where I can find them, tubes of paint seem to wander around on their own and brushes are totally undisciplined.
Painting has become quite a challenge. There ought to be a handicap system like they have for golf. That system is based on your ability. The painting one would be based on your space multiplied by your age. That would make me an old Master already…
