Back in December, I was scrolling Facebook, and came across an ad for paint-by-number kits. It caught my attention because the paintings were full of vibrant colors, and the scenes all depicted wildflowers. [Is it just me who gets reeled in by Facebook’s targeted ads?] Like a responsible consumer, I waited for a few days to make my decision. Did I really want to invest 30 bucks?
Ultimately, I decided to go for it. It would help keep me occupied through the winter, and once finished, the painting would be perfect to hang behind the bed in our guest bedroom. I knew it would be quite the undertaking, however, as the painting had tons of detail. But with Sam gone, the dining table would be all mine, and I could keep the painting and supplies right out on the table and paint a bit at a time.
I placed my order and found out my kit would be coming directly from China. A bit of a wait was okay because I hadn’t planned on starting it for at least another month. All in all, I don’t think it took too long to arrive. And as soon as it showed up, I opened the package to see what I had gotten myself into. As I unfurled the canvas, I knew immediately that this was going to be quite the undertaking.
While I knew there would be a lot of details, I didn’t appreciate how tiny those details would be! But it was Christmastime, so I didn’t need to worry about it. I simply rolled it back up, and tucked it into my closet. I knew the day would come in which I had to face that painting, but that day seemed safely far away.
That day finally came yesterday. Since Sam had left, I had gotten a few projects out of the way including the kitchen countertops, so now it was time to face the music. I bravely unrolled the canvas, sighed at the site of it, and securely taped it to my table. And then I just left it there; I had to work up the nerve to embark on this adventure.
At 12:30 pm, although I was reticent, I was ready to go. I was worried about my ability to paint because of my tremor, but I decided I would just take it very slow and try to enjoy the process. After all, if I couldn’t enjoy it, what was the point?
As I put my paintbrush to the canvas and made my first few strokes, I was surprised by how familiar it felt. I had not painted since high school, but that muscle memory was still there. It was a painstaking process, but I managed to stay within the lines like a champ despite my trembling.
Before I knew it, an hour-and-a-half had passed, and I was ready to be finished for the day. However my progress was laughable:
But, surprisingly enough, I felt relaxed once I was done.
However, I had had an upsetting realization while painting. When I started painting that flower, it became apparent that, as time went on, I would need to take some artistic license. Some of those details are so small that you cannot read their corresponding numbers. To make matters worse, there are areas where several small details are clustered together, and it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the others begin. I will have to consult the finished result and hope for the best as I paint these areas.
I hope that I am able to follow through and finish this painting. I am not a patient person and am somewhat a perfectionist. If things don’t go as planned, I very well may throw in the towel. But I hope I don’t. I really want the satisfaction of completing something worthwhile. I have over two months left before Sam returns—plenty of time to slowly paint my way through to completion.
I will keep you all apprised of the situation and post updates so that you can see my progress. Stay tuned and find out if I follow through or bail!