This was supposed to be a painting of a violin, not a cello. Actually, it’s not the right depiction of a cello either. Going against all my instincts, I didn’t fuss with the shape. I made it somewhat symmetrical so I could start playing with my new paint.

My husband recently gave me one of the best sets of watercolour paints.  The new paper I used didn’t work very well with the heavy wash, but I had fun watching the paints flow into each other on wet paper, followed by the salt creating a mottling pattern when contacting the wet paint.

The painting will be tucked away in a box within the next few days, but for the moment it can bask in the glory and virtue of play time.

I drew this one for my icad project on an index card last year using Prismacolor pencils.  I think I will paint another violin using acrylic.

I have unravelled this pair of mitts more times than I care to remember. Finally, I decided that the Eye of Partridge stitch worked well with this yarn. Since I got the idea from Et Frais, I bought the pattern to support the designer even though I didn’t follow it. I played with the thumb area until I was happy with it.

These mitts are nothing special, but they will add colour to the still chilly, grey mornings around me.

When I go out around dawn, it’s overcast most days around here with extremely low light. It always looks great around me, but capturing that low-lit atmosphere in photography is quite another matter. So I take many photos, toss out several, and learn in the process. The mist was being very elusive; this was the best I could capture that morning.

I like tall, dry grass, but I am finding it to be tricky to capture in a photo. It either ends up looking like a giant mess or just background noise. Still, I kept on taking photos hoping to find an angle or composition that would work.

One day, my perseverance paid off. The morning dew was still on them, backlit by the rising sun.

I love the One Monthly Goal link-up since it commits me to playing with a previously-forgotten project. My goal for July is to make this sunburst star block. I can then use it on another project that I have in mind, which will require a bit of playing around with size and fabric.

All the pieces in this post are results of playing.  You see, I grew up under the doctrine that every piece of work has to be great.  Although “Practice makes perfect” was preached regularly, the emphasis was always on creating the best on the first try.  Over time, the word “practice” got associated with “failure” in my head.

As I got older, I turned practice into playtime, be it maths, science, programming or art.  Without the pressure of perfection, I started having fun.  That enticed me to play more and I got better.

So I will keep blowing raspberries at those voices in my head that are telling me I am wasting my time and continue to play. I urge you to do same if you were subjected to the same doctrine growing up!

Happy Playing,
-Soma