Life is a great big canvas. Throw all the paint you can on it. ~Danny Kaye
Have you ever done any painting in a purely artistic venture? I’ve done plenty of painting but most of it on flat walls where no individual expression is needed or wanted. Uniformity of color is what was desired. I suppose I did some watercolor painting when I was a kid and have painted a few swirly pictures with my grandkids. You know, from those tin cases that had little squares of colors and a brush. By the time the grandkids came along the cases were plastic and the colors were a little brighter.
I once did a paint by number picture too. A cat. Must not have been any dog pictures available. Those painting sets had tiny little plastic tubs of paint with numbers so that you could fill in the numbered spaces and end up with a work of art. Some of those teeny spaces were very difficult to fill in without getting over the line. Tedious is a word that fits nicely. And it took forever. When I could have been reading a book!! But I persevered and finally got that cat painted. It was interesting how the colors combined in those little numbered areas and ended up blending into the right look for cat fur.
I was inordinately proud of that paint by number picture. I put it in a frame and displayed it in my room. I probably still have it somewhere although I have no idea where. Maybe I did throw it away in a weak moment. Oh, the organizers and de-clutterers among you are saying the weak moment is when you keep something you should throw out. Of course, you are right. I have more than my share of that sort of thing cluttering up my closets and shelves. Maybe my memory too.
It’s fortunate when you have a picture to remind you of those moments in memory that make you smile. This picture can do that for me. These kids were trying out their artistic talents on walking sticks. If a person is going hiking on the farm, they might need a walking stick. A purple, pink or blue walking stick. Or perhaps all those colors in interesting patterns. The joy of throwing a little paint onto the canvas of choice.
Right now, many of us feel our “life” paintings are in a strange kind of limbo. School is suspended. Many work places are closed. Trips are canceled. Visits are discouraged. A pause button has been pushed. It’s as if we’ve gotten this far and now we’re running out of paint. But no, that’s not true. Life is going on like a stream running underground. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to continue our work at home while we keep our social distancing. Others are not and face more difficult struggles dealing with closings and cancellations and loss of work opportunities. But life does keep happening even as we hope and pray things will return to something nearer to normal.
We do have social media to keep us from being so isolated. We can gather information. Share news and encouragement. Post pictures of spring turning the world green once more and decorating the green with flowers. And we can keep having fun with things like my caption game. I have enjoyed all your imaginative captions for the pictures I’ve posted and look forward to what you’ll come up with for this last one. If you leave a caption suggestion here on my blog post, you’ll be entered in a drawing for winner’s choice of one of my books and a grab bag book. I’ll pick two winners on Wednesday. Deadline to enter is midnight EST on March 24, 2020.
You all came up with fun captions for my picture of the girl taking the dachshund for a ride int he wagon. Paula made me smile with her “wiener mobile.” Many of you put words into Sumo’s mouth as to why the girl wasn’t going faster or why she was stopping. Then there were the “he followed me home, can I keep him” captions. Dachshund lover Geraldine said that he might have short legs but he was long on love. Dachshunds have very dedicated fans. Sumo did give his owners and his many friends and admirers plenty of opportunity to splash some happy colors on their life canvases.
So what caption do you give the picture up top?
Thank you for reading and for playing my caption game. I look forward to your splashes of words and wish you patience and joy in these trying days of uncertainty.
Comments 28
Amazing Art Day
Author
Thanks for stopping by, Joy, and suggesting a caption. Sometimes those days with grandkids can be amazing.
Where future famous artists began!!
Author
Those famous artists have to start somewhere, Linda. Actually, one of these girls does like to draw, but I think she likes to write better.
Kids doing what they enjoy and no peeking at mine!
Author
No peeking works, Peggy. They didn’t want the other kids to copy their artistic ideas for sure.
“Don’t copy and DON’T peek!”
or
“How I long to get down on my knees!”
Those were the days and did I ever take it for granted that I would always be able to get down on my knees and get back up without a problem! “Those were the days!”
Could be another caption. 😊
Author
I know what you mean, Karen. It is fun to see kids having fun doing all those things we used to have fun doing. Those are great captions. Thanks for playing my Caption Game.
Little masterpieces!
Budding artists on a sunny day….a picture paints a thousand words.
Author
Nice creative caption, Lucy. Like the picture paints a thousand words.
You and your small corner and I’m in mine.
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That’s a good caption, Una. Kids do need their own space or paint might have been flying on something besides those walking sticks.
‘While your sticks dry, I’ll tell the you Bible story of Moses’ staff turning into a serpent’🐍
Author
Love it, Marji. I should have thought of that when they were painting that day. I could have had fun telling a Bible story. Maybe I should do a Jocie post on her Heart of Hollyhill blog and let her talk about her dad preaching that story.
Steady now, I’ll show you when I’m finished.
Author
A steady hand is always good when you’re painting, Debra. I think that’s why I had such trouble with that paint by number picture. I’ve always been a little messy. Get paint all over me when I’m painting walls, but the walls look good when I get finished. In my upcoming book, An Appalachian Summer, my heroine does some painting and is messy like me. 🙂
These walking sticks look like long colorful snakes, I wonder if we could scare anybody with them?
Author
That would certainly be something that would make those two boys grin, Connie. Maybe the girls too. Fun caption.
Author
As I expected, you all came up with some good cations. But I’m ready to see what else the rest of you suggest.
It seems we are thinking about an artist’s beginning. Linda, your comment about Picasso having to start somewhere had me smiling. I’m one of those non-art experts that do like knowing what I look at when I see a painting. But for walking sticks, Picasso style works.
Fern, I like your caption about those early years of Van Gogh and friends. As Linda said, you got to start somewhere.
Lisa, you are just going to get the job done. I’ve always liked help when I was doing my wall painting for sure.
Paula, chores and schoolwork just doesn’t seem as much fun when the sun’s shining and grandma is spoiling them. I guess right now they are having to spend time on schoolwork as their parents are being turned into home schoolers like everywhere else.
Lynda, I like “Bluegrass art colony.” Sounds like a fun colony to be in.
Joni, definitely memories. We are so blessed to be able to make those memories with our grandchildren. Sometimes you wonder which memories they will treasure when they get older.
Emily, I loved spending time with my cousins when I was a kid. Those are some of my best memories. These kids happen to all be siblings, but your caption captures the feeling of the picture nicely.
Mary, I have to admit that your caption is my favorite so far. It’s great and definitely something these kids might have had fun trying. All we would have needed in some limbo music.
“Van Gogh and Friends, the Early Years”
As soon as the sticks dry, we can limbo!
“Spending time with the cousins doing outdoor activities like painting is a great way to welcome Spring,Grandma!” Happy Spring,Ann!☺ 💜Proverbs 7,Isaiah 43:18-19💜
Memories. (Focus on the project while your mind zones out)
A Blue Grass art colony!
Now, if they would only concentrate that hard on their schoolwork or chores!
I’ll do this side, you do your side.
Picasso had to start somewhere, too!