One Day I Will Paint On Walls...

From the amazing Rima Staines blog, The Hermitage

One day I happened upon a link to a blog post called "Old Women Who Paint On Their Walls" on a blog by an artist named Rima Staines. Rima is an amazing and innovative artist and this blog is a feast of riches but this particular post intrigued me, never having heard of the blog but curious to see what old women did that merited a post on what they might paint on their walls. Whoa Nelly! I opened up that page and my jaw dropped. All of a sudden a new world opened up to me, and two things popped into my mind. First of all, always having wanted to paint but figuring in my 50's it was too late to start I was reminded of Grandma Moses who didn't start painting until she was in her 70's (I've always loved her quote, "If I hadn't started painting I would have raised chickens."), and painted past 100. I may not turn into Grandma Moses or Georgia O'Keefe but that doesn't mean I can't paint for the joy of it, and now with a little table-top easel and some inexpensive canvases and art supplies I'm about to start.

The other thing that I loved was that they painted on their walls. With a lifetime of that "Paint the walls white in case we ever have to sell the house" school of thought behind me as soon as I had my own little place every single room was a different color with painted ceilings and down the hall to the bedrooms and den the walls are painted turquoise with the doors painted the same color as the rooms themselves, a bright sunny yellow, a warm rosy pink, and an orchidy violet. I just love it, but the idea of actually cutting loose with my art all over the walls thrilled me down to my toes.

So I ask you, what can be more joyful than following your heart and letting the opinions of others be their own while you revel in that which brings you bliss, which makes your elbows tingle, which makes you giddy with glee? Right now I have a brightly colored house with twinkly lights all over it. Someday I'm going to be an old lady painting my walls, and I look forward to it, it gives me something to live for. If it doesn't work out I'll raise chickens.