In the past painting and photography have been a sideline for me. Since I retired a couple of years ago I’ve been able to take it more seriously. Not that I didn’t take it seriously before; its just that I had less time and was never satisfied with anything I painted.  Either it didn’t look like what I was using for a model (I use a lot of photos that I’ve taken or other people have loaned me), or because the colors weren’t right, or because I was clueless about composition - a hundred reasons to give it up and find something else to do. But I've realized painting, at least with watercolors, progresses more smoothly if one does it for enjoyment (JeanHaines calls it “painting yourself calm), stops worrying about perfection, quits comparing it and judging it by other people’s work, and quits asking your friends, family and neighbors “Do you like it”? If they don’t they probably won’t tell you, and if they do it will be with reservations -”It’s really good, but ,,,” So now I just paint, and I share it with you because I like doing it!