Line & Wash workshop today. That's an ink drawing overlaid with watercolor. And ... OMG! I know I say this almost every time, but this was my best class ever!

Someone (mom) was swearing really bad and then she noticed I was hiding and she came and found me and she said it was the nasty printer again. Not me. And I got an apology and a hug. Be careful of your anger because there can be collateral damage.

Yesterday was horrible. Mom was one hour late coming home. Did you know that dogs worry about only one thing? When will you come home. Well, two things - because supper depends on you being home. Anyway, I was distraught. Come home on time.

Portraits tonight! A really difficult task but so satisfying! BTW, the guy with the long beard - that was a self portrait and the guy looked exactly like that!

Sometimes the difference in the amount of attention you need and the amount of attention you get is awful. Invisibility hurts. Notice someone today.

Sometimes a rescue dog has only learned fear and meanness. but with time and patience and a loving, kind example that street dog can become sweet and gentle. The issues with mean humans is that I’m afraid we may not have enough time.

Dad had insomnia last night. And so - we all had insomnia. Sometimes people’s troubles are not so much infectious as forced upon you. Although it’s aggravating, pretend that you are participating voluntarily. Pretend it’s moral support, because maybe it is.

Everyone seems to dread Mondays. But Mondays can be nice. You see your friends at work or school. And you have lots to talk about. If you’re retired There’s no line at the supermarket. And if you’re still sad Dogs are available all day Monday.

You don’t have to change to be loved. I love you just the way you are. But try not to get any worse.

Ethan with his violin. #Growth #blueskyartshow #watercolor.

Fire trucks went by my street yesterday then the school bus and then the UPS guy came. So I was exhausted. II could not get off the couch. For hours. When I finally had the energy to move, Mom said, “Good job of standing up.” Sometimes you need to acknowledge even tiny accomplishments.

Emergency! Emergency! Stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW! Get up and go look at the sky. Do you see it? It’s the SKY! It’s always there waiting for you. Pay attention.

The last of my 4-class program: Painting white subjects. White is a challenge in watercolor, because white appears by what you DON'T paint. But OMG, these guys are SO GOOD!

Sometimes when Mom sees a beautiful scene, she points her camera at it and hopes I walk into the frame. And sometimes I do. You can do that too: Point yourself in the direction of something beautiful.

Saying “Calm down” never calmed anyone down. Saying “Relax” never helped anyone relax. Saying “Don’t Worry” never got anyone to stop worrying. So how about if you say, “Can I worry with you? I’ll bring the snacks.”

After Mom’s car accident, it took months before she could drive again. And when I bumped my noggin on the truck’s trailer hitch, I wouldn’t go near the truck for - well - I still won’t. When bad things happen, they can make you afraid for a long time. Be patient with yourself.

Henry. #watercolor.

Spend some time today remembering the soldiers who died to protect you. And if you have the day off from work and you’re happy about that, don’t feel guilty. Your happiness is what they were protecting.

Goose parade. #watercolor

One thing that you need to know about mothers: When the weather sucks, it is definitely Mom’s fault.

Seascapes today! Beautiful seascapes!

Eleanor & Audrey. #BlueSkyArtShow #Tall #watercolor

Always leave a tiny bit of room in your brain and your heart for the possibility that you might sometimes be wrong. Mom thought it was summer. But it’s not.

Week #3 in my 4 wk class: This session's technique was Line & Wash - an ink drawing overlaid with watercolor.

A wise human (my grandpa) said that you cannot save the world if you cry all the time. I don’t think he meant you shouldn’t feel sad. I think he meant that you shouldn’t let sadness be the reason you give up.

When someone has something that would make you happy and you wish you had it too, That’s just Envy. But when you wish the other guy didn’t have that good thing- that’s Resentment. It’s like wishing the other guy wasn’t happy. That’s not you.

Happy Paw Day from Henry, who has toes out the wazoo.

Dad had a little injury and he couldn’t mow when he needed to. A freshly mowed lawn looks really nice. But the wildflowers came up instead. Sometimes things you feel bad about turn out pretty good.

Puppies and children make a lot of mistakes. We learn when we’re little that it’s easy to be wrong Grown up dogs know that we still make mistakes. But adult humans need to be right. Some humans seem to think that growing up means never having to say you’re sorry.

I know a lonely lady who wanted a cat. So she went to the shelter. “You look nice,” she said to the first cat she saw. And they lived happily ever after. Moral: If you’re lonely, you don’t have to wait for your perfect soul mate. Someone nice will work.

Baby Baboon. #watercolor #line&wash

There are times when you feel invisible. You seem to have disappeared. You are lost in a very messy and crowded world. No one sees you. We all feel that way sometimes. But you’re still there. I see you.

Robert. #watercolor #art

Late at night when we are out on our bedtime walk, Mom looks at the stars. And in the early morning she likes how the sun throws long spotlights on the grass. She says, “Thanks, Henry, if it wasn’t for you I would have missed this.”

We all have our bad moods. Very very bad moods. But instead of snapping at folks, even if you have good reason, (which you probably do) maybe just say, “I’m in a bad mood, so I need to give myself a time-out. I’ll see you soon when I can like people again.”

Tonight was Class #2 of my 4-wk workshop. The assignment tonight was Wet-on-Wet - painting with very wet paint on wet paper. It's fun to let the paint just spread and bloom and just go with it. I gave them mostly cat photos because cats are so naturally fluffy, but threw in a few other animals too.

Did you ever notice you spend a lot of time looking behind you? Sometimes it’s to make sure no one sees you. Or a monster isn’t following you. Sometimes it is to wait for the guys who are slower than you. Sometimes it’s to marvel at how far you’ve come.

To all dogs: Important tip for Zoom calls! Some online meetings last too long & you are not supposed to be noisy. But what you can do is Stare. Stare intently. Stare with your peepee face. Your human will notice. Your human will get off the call. Your human will thank you too.

Seascape class tonight.

As a little kid you asked “Why?” a million times. as you tried to figure out the world. Did you outgrow it? Maybe you should still ask “Why?” “Why not?” Ask often.

We all have days where we can’t even lift our heads. It happens when your brain just gets too heavy with heavy thoughts. But that’s okay. Because that’s what pillows and sofa arms and especially laps were made for. Rest today. Think some lighter thoughts tomorrow.

Reading By The Window. #watercolor #art

I have mixed feelings about holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. I think it’s nice to remind lucky people how lucky they are. But remember: These celebrations also remind the unlucky and the sad of what they’ve lost. Be kind.

Today was Watercolor Portrait class, with 6 kids ages 11-14, plus the librarian. They painted 6 humans and 1 dog. Portraits are so difficult, but these paintings are amazing - the kid who painted the little girl with the tiara has just turned eleven!

When you are sick you can go lie down or you can throw up or you can take some medicine or you can at least complain. But when you are worried and you’re not sure what you are worried about all you can do is worry.

I don’t understand folks who say they have No Regrets. I have lots of regrets. Regrets mean that you care that you did something stupid or hurt someone’s feelings or didn’t take that chance you maybe should have taken.

Class #1 in a 4-class course. Students had to pick from dozens of reference photos and use a minimal palette (no more than 3 colors of their choosing). And they wowed me!

Never underestimate the magical healing power of early mornings

I’m not sure what happened. And folks may say I’ve changed. For the worse. And I have. But I’ll find myself again. I may even smile again.. But it may take a while. Definitely not today.

Sometimes one friend who won’t give up on you is enough.