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. 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.