Paint 'til you faint...

Wowsers... and I almost did, lol.

I, along with 5 others, joined Willow for her first ever certification seminar. Five (5) days of total immersion in painting.

LOVED IT!

The first day, we prepped all 8 canvasses we would be painting over the next four days. Then we got homework: creation of colour worksheets; writing out instructions for a painting; creating an original and unique background to a painting; business plan; catching up on the day's work each day, etc. It was fabulous.

We had wonderful lunches each day, short breaks, product testing, shopping. We went out as a group for dinner on most nights (that's when I learned I LOVE Daiquiries, lol - they were the "special" at Earl's one night. Oh my, my... next stop, Winnipeg's version of the LCBO to pick-up Bacardi Breezer Strawberry Daiquiri. Mmmmmmm). Got to see the Artists' Emporium in Winnipeg, a little bit of shopping (I had to hit the Urban Barn which I've just learned has opened a store here in Ottawa! Yeah!) and a lot of visiting with new friends.

One of the girls, Marion (who had arranged to come and paint for a couple days, but not partake of the intensive "study" and learning that the other 6 of us were embarking on), took my roommate, Sharlene, and I to the Club Regent Casino. What an atmosphere. Sharlene was in 7th heaven as she hit the machines. Marion and I mostly people-watched and I was in awe of the design and decor (and people). My most favourite part was the walk-through aquarium. Wow. It was like a small hallway with a huge salt water aquarium on both sides AND THE ROOF overhead. The colours of the salt water sea life and the layout of the seafloor were fabulous. The girls had to pull me away. The machines? Well, I guess they're okay, lol. But I just don't "get" it. The draw. Putting my money in and pushing a couple of buttons and not really making a "choice" on how the games were played... well, not to be a wet blanket, but... I just don't get it, lol. S'pose that's a good thing, heehee, but my lack of enthusiasm for the money eating monsters didn't dampen my awe of the whole experience. Told my husband that I'd like to go to Vegas someday for the scenery and fantastical displays and architecture. He informed me that if you "play", even a teeny bit, on the machines, you get free drinks... Vegas here I come, lol.

I'm still glowing from a comment Willow made to me at the end of the week. Gonna hold it close. She was behind me when she exclaimed "Shelley!" "What?", I jumped thinking maybe I was painting something incorrectly, lol. "Don't jump", she said, "I just wanted to say I didn't realize what an incredibly beautiful painter you are". Wow. And WOW again. She had seen my paintings before, but we hadn't painted in a "classroom" setting for several years so you don't get the feel or watch what someone is (or isn't) doing. And those were big, busy and distracting classes. I was thrilled and warmed with her praise.

Willow was an awesome hostess and a wonderful, giving teacher. We learned so very much from our week of painting and lessons and notes. And, I have been certified as a Willow Wolfe Instructor. I'm humbled as this designation wasn't bestowed lightly. It is something to honour.

My plane trip home was a tad long and tested my tummy. It was s'posed to be a 2 hour and 5 minute trip (guess the wind was at our backsides, lol, as the trip out to Winnipeg was 3 hours+). It turned out to be close to 5 hours. Argh. Apparently there was a weather "trough" over Ottawa. My stomach can attest to that. Nearly had to avail myself of the little bag in the forward seat pocket. We circled for a bit in the turbulence trying to wait our turn to land. Not enough fuel. So off we went to Montreal to fuel up. Then back to the skies to wait again. Eventually touched down and my friend, bless her soul, was still waiting for me altho' I'd called around trying to track down her cell to tell her to go ahead home. I've definitely learned I'm a "fair weather" traveler as I am prone to motion sickness. I do a whole lot of talking myself "well" when in the skies, lol.

Well, I still need to complete my paintings and will try to do that within the next week. Then I will post them to my Webshots.

~Shelley