of boats and blossoms

Hey I'm Ellen and I'm in a creative rut.

Like the kind where you have about 30 different projects running through your head and no skill to actually execute them. I must have come up with five different concept ideas and arrangements for this painting/poster in my head last night, and no clue how to actually go about it. Every dark/night scene I've tried to draw before has gone dreadfully awry. Then I look online. How to Paint Night Scenes in Watercolor. And the guy is just showing his own [brilliant] Night Scene In Watercolour In Its Formative Stages, followed by sparse commentary: "And then I decided to maybe layer a little Purple #321 with the Forest Green (#12) and just start going over the shapes in the water, very carefully". Thanks for the tips, pal (sarcasm hand raised).

Or maybe it's just that I bit my cheek whilst chewing my lunch. Biting your cheek instead of your noodles is like a flashing neon sign that says "Hi, I'm a klutz in a creative rut."

Or maybe it's that I upload all my images from the weekend and none of them really excite me. Ugh. Oh dear, I must be in a blue funk. (Which combination of words is so amazing it gives me shivers. I tell myself I'm in a blue funk and then I instantly feel better.
And classy. Like, Hi, I'm Ellen, a creative klutz in a blue funk. Oh, yeah baby, let's hang out.
Sure I'll sign you that autograph.)

So anyway, I'm aware that none of these photos have gone with their accompanying commentary. Not to worry. They are just randoms from the week end, taken hastily in between my scenes as Emma Elroy aka The Pride & Prejudice Woman From Joanna's Play and walking the dog - I mean the horse. Louis the horse. Get it right!

It was gloriously eery and grey and the stick reminded me of pirates.

I know the water is uneven. It was a freak of camera not of nature. Or perhaps it was a freak of my alignment when it came to getting the pan shot. Hey, hold the criticism. This was taken like 2 minutes after I woke up. I rolled out of bed and into my clothes and only had barely enough self-possession to grab my camera before they left without me.

I am pretty excited about the days in which I will not need two paragraph disclaimers before posting the photos as seen. Tee hee.

The older girls were still in beddy bye at this point. They totally missed out. So I guess that kind of negates my previous point about early worms? At least Mr. Earthworm saw some of the world before he got devoured. I guess it all boils down to - is it worth it?

I would say it was worth it. And I lied up there actually. This shot does excite me. Not as much as the combo "blue funk", but that would be asking too much.

der guter hund - err, horse - Louis.

And in closing, a little screenshot. I have always been fascinated by scenes in which the characters amble along in nature whilst reading - you know the ones - Sound of Music, Pride and Prejudice.

Well there I am, joining the ranks of the multitaskers. Please note the anachronistic van in the corner. Oopsadaisies, film crew.

And in closing - here I am with my one true love, Mr. Fauntleroy. We did manage to do this scene without laughing. It was nothing short of miraculous.


I'm off to my essay, much revived by this post. I think it was the "blue funk" that did it.
Ta ta!