World of Watercolor - A Different Perspective by Maury Kettell

Gratification

Painting watercolors makes me happy. In fact, most things in my life make me happy. I wonder about this happiness thing because I seem to have been blessed with the right brain chemicals. But it is true for me--I'm a happy person.

But with that said, I'm happier when I'm in my studio working on my next painting. There is something about the challenge of a watercolor painting that just gets me pumped up. I get excited when I stretch a piece of watercolor paper. I suppose some folks wouldn't understand that statement--but if you are an artist--you probably understand. It has become a ritual for me-take the paper to the bathtub, soak it, bring it back to the studio, put it on the board and staple it down. I can hardly contain my excitement the whole time it is drying.

Have you even gone to the refrigerator for a dill pickle and could feel your checks starting to pucker up? Yeah, that is my feeling when I'm getting ready for another watercolor.

As the paper dries, I'm already salivating. I'm anxious to get to the chase. Any painting is such a nebulous thing in the mind. But the idea is nothing compared to the effort and struggle to make the whole thing happen on watercolor paper. That is happiness for me.

Art isn't easy-it challenges us in so many ways. It can be a real downer at times, but I think that what we really like, and what makes us happy, is the fight to make the creative act happen right. We don't always get it right, but we can be content with the struggle. If we fight hard enough, we succeed and that provides some dividends--but even when we don't get it right, we know we pushed ourselves to do something out of the ordinary--we went for it, we gave it our best shot.

Happiness isn't immediate gratification--immediate gratification is meaningless in the long run. Happiness is taking on a challenge and knowing you did the best you could. Happiness is taking time to look around and see something that nobody else sees. Happiness is understanding what a wonderful thing this life is. Life is precious because we will never discover all its dimensions and will just touch the surface. However if we do it right, we might find our way beneath the surface a bit and that will be enough. We will be happy.

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