Posts Tagged ‘dabbing’

Dabbling, not to be confused with Dabbing, the popular dance move.

You know that phrase, “Jack of all Trades”? Well, to me one must “Dabble” first before becoming a “Jack”. Dabbling to me, is when I start doing something new to me creatively.

I checked Wikipedia for the origins of “Jack of all trades” (because I am that person). Although now-a-days, I feel the phrase is a positive description, it started out as a dig to Shakespeare by the writer Robert Green in his 1952 booklet “Greene’s Groats-Worth of Wit”.

It wasn’t until 1962 when a version of it appeared in the book “Essays and Characters of a Prison” by English writer Geffray Mynshul. He most likely wrote it when he was imprisoned for debt. I assume he was not a “Master” financier.

Which leads me to the added phrase, “A master of none”. This part of the phrase was added later and it was meant as a dig in jest. I also found that there was also another phrase added on to that as well, which I like, “Jack of all trades, master of none, but still better than a master of one”.

I digress, let us get back to my dabbling. In between my musings above I gave you examples of my newest dabble. I am using paints now. I have always used paints but mostly spray paint and paint pens. I did even a brush now and then for furnishings and other upcycled projects. Now I have moved on to actually using brushes and sometimes, awesome vintage water color pencils, for art.

It all started when a dear friend, gifted a TON of art supplies to my 13 year old artist twin nieces. There was so much product, I kept some extra bits and parts for myself.

My talented nieces lived next door at the time. They came over with their now “tool” box filled of art supplies and we sat down to paint. Here are their paintings.

Olivia’s
Isabella’s

That’s a tough act to follow, so I thought about paintings I had seen in art galleries that I liked. I though Maybe I could do something like this Cézanne.

Or Maybe this Rothko…

Or Maybe not, but I tried.

And so, this is my first Acrylic painting!


I’m not sure it is up there with the greats, but I do so like it. I love the texture in it, that you can’t see here, but I laid it on thick. I love color and I am happy with this piece.

I enjoyed painting so much, I dabbled more. Here is my second acrylic piece. It’s called “Sand, Sea, Sky”, a subject that I have been obsessed with since we move near the beach on a Caribbean island.

It was based on a photo I took on an island off of Puerto Rico, called Vieques. It is a photo of what I love to call “island water”. It is that clear water with sea foam green slowly turning into hints of turquoise.

I played with those cool vintage water color pencils, that you can see in a photo up above, and created the piece below. I really like this one, almost love because art is so not perfect. I love how in some way the colors blend bleeding into each other, but then I also love how the green left stark lines above the yellow. I guess in a way I was trying to overlap the water over the sand like in the photo. The piece gives you an idea of the photo, but in it’s own way, separately, a piece of beauty.

A birthday card for my friend.

I already have another canvas set out for me to dabble more.

Who Knows…I may not even use paint. My other newest dabble, Sea Glass! I love hunting for it here where it is plentiful! I wonder often what to do with all the lovely of glass that has been softened into wonderful bits of art.

I am off to play with my photography now. I do dabble a lot.

Thanks for visiting My Gnome Little World. I never know will be happening up in here. Please come back!

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