This was not on my bingo card for 2025…
Fine Art Friday #40
First of all, I’m just so excited to see #40 up there. What a gift it is to write these and THAT YOU READ IT!
“Most customers don’t help us on these projects…” he said to my husband in astonishment.
And my husband replied, “Nope, can’t imagine they do!”
Here’s a fun fact I didn’t plan to learn this week: when your utility room floods, there’s no glamorous way to deal with it.
One minute, I’m folding towels; the next, I’m ankle-deep in water, wondering if I should start building an ark.
And just when I thought it couldn’t get worse? The plumber tells me we have to replumb half the house.
My husband, noticing that it’s taking WAY longer than the 2 days we were assured it would “easily be completed in” — decided to help. He:
+ Pulled up the flooring around the house.
+ Found the sewer line 3 ft deep in our backyard
+ Went and got cement so they could start pouring it immediately
Y’all — this week was insane and while my husband couldn’t fix the whole problem, I’m very thankful for all that he DID do to make it happen as fast as possible.
Some weeks, life really loves to throw curveballs. And while I’m not suggesting you start painting utility room scenes (though I guess that could be a vibe?), this whole mess got me thinking about how we handle the unexpected—in life and in art.
Here’s what I know:
In watercolor, the paint doesn’t always go where you want it to. You can fight it, or you can lean into it and let those “mistakes” transform into something better.
In life, it’s kind of the same. A flood isn’t fun (or cheap), but it’s a reminder to let go of perfection and just deal.
And since no one likes to wallow, here are 3 tips for turning chaos into creativity this week:
Channel the chaos into a quick study – Pick a random object in your house (no, not the pipes, though the trench through my kitchen might be interesting) and spend 10 minutes painting it. No pressure, no overthinking—just flow with it.
Limit your palette – Restrict yourself to 3 colors for your next piece. It forces you to get creative, and you might just stumble upon a new favorite combination.
Create a “disaster” on purpose – Try letting water or paint run in unexpected ways, then build from the result. It’s a fun reminder that some of the best work comes from accidents.
Whether you’re dealing with an unexpected flood, a blank paper, or just the usual daily chaos, remember: you’ve got this.
And who knows—maybe today’s mess will be tomorrow’s masterpiece.
Until next time,
Courtney
P.S. I’m running a sale this week to help cover the cost of this replumbing adventure. Portraits are on sale 25% off, and all digital offerings on my website are 50% off! If you’ve been thinking about commissioning a piece or snagging some of my resources, now’s the time!
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& if you're new here—hi! I'm Courtney, fine artist and live wedding painter, honored to paint beautiful celebrations around the 🌎. I'd love for you to stick around and subscribe to keep reading one art tip, once a week. :)