While in the newfie chat forums, I began to learn how to use the software; Paint Shop Pro.
With the many photo manipulations to tease in the threads, and in making cards & avatars, I soon began to get a handle on using this wonderful tool.
I soon tried my hand at digital Painting. My online friends loved them. It was in heaven creating, but in the back of my mind, that little voice was nagging. “you’re not good enough” and soon filed them away. Life happened and my paint shop pro got put on the back burner.
In May 2014 , I met a woman through a friend who was having her first show at a Gallery in the Head of St Margaret’s Bay. I went with her for the drive to drop off a few of her paintings.
That day, sitting and chatting with the Owner/Artist Janet Couper, something nagged at me to show her my digital paintings. I had copies of them in my purse, but I hesitated because I was scared.
“Should I…. shouldn’t I”, kept rolling in my head.
Mixed with the feelings of not being good enough, for a minute I thought,” hell why not”, I suddenly blurted out, ” What do you think of Digital Painting?”
By the look on her face, I wasn’t sure if I should proceed with showing her, yet a part of me in hearing her felt she didn’t understand what I had meant.
So I pulled them out and passed them to her.
The look on her face and her enthusiasm for my work was overwhelming. I began to think, “wow, does she really see something there?? Am I really….? And then she asked…. “How would you like to have your first show too?”
Then my fear began to build inside me, mixing with those old feelings of not being good enough; I didn’t know if should say yes.
I said “can I think about it and let you know?”.
The next morning when laying in bed, fighting with the should I or shouldn’t I’s, I rolled out of bed and said, “Hell, I’m calling her now and saying yes!!”
On June 14th, 2012 I had my “First Show”
It was an awesome time and I learned so much about me and the art world. The universe has a way of letting you meet the right people at the right time.