I really should stop watching Lindsay the frugal crafter, and I’m not kiddding.  She makes me think I could be a painter, a jeweler, an artist.  In general, she makes me think I can do things I probably can’t.  It’s not that I don’t want to do these things.  It’s that I don’t have the years of training she’s had.  She makes me think I can pick up a paint brush and voila, painter!  It hasn’t stopped me from buying tools she recommends or from giving some of these things the old college try.  Wow, there’s a saying that really needs some background info.

From English Language and Usage—A newspaper column by that title by Billy Sunday which has a 1917 copyright by The Bell Syndicate Inc. Appears in an Elyria Ohio paper October of 1918.

Actually, the evangelist puts the expression on the lips of the great Giants manager John McGraw who after watching an rookie outfielder just out of college miss a heroic catch which resulted in a homer. While the “sapient birds of the Giants gave the kid the cackle” McGraw is quoted as saying, “That’s the eye, young fellow. The old college try.”

 

So the phrase dates back 100 years.  Pretty impressive that someone (namely me) is still using it today even if it has nothing to do with sports.

Regardless, I drew an artichoke with oil pastels and wasn’t overly disappointed with the results.  But I would love to be able to paint with watercolors.  So based on Lindsay’s recommendation, I set out to A C Moore today to buy a small set of travel watercolors.  Did they have them in stock?  No, but I did find out that they would special order them for me but can’t guarantee an arrival date.  I made my order and am breathlessly awaiting the arrival of my new kit.  I plan on painting very small images so that I don’t feel badly when I have to throw them in the trash.  If I ever get to the point that I’m clear on the color wheel, I may even be able to blend colors on my own.  I’m not holding my breath for that. I know that Lindsay has been painting since she was a small child.  I’m 56, so if I’m able to make a color other than mud, I’ll be thrilled.  Hey I might even be happy if I make mud,–there’s a lot you can make with mud.  There’s mud, dirt, dirty things, brown things, the list goes on and on.  The bottom line is I need to give this a try or I’ll never know if I can do it or not.  Besides, I’ve got Lindsay to show me the way.

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