When you fail to prepare.....

Hormonal imbalance, that's what I have been chalking all of my screw-ups to this summer. Forgetting to pay the auto insurance bill, stranding my husband in Troy because I forgot to pick him up, leaving my glass of diet pop in my art armoire, even forgetting to dry off after my shower this morning before putting on my nightgown!

Generally, when we plan a vacation, I spend a great deal of time putting together my traveling art kit. I knew we would be deep in the woods of the Upper Peninsula and that I would have a lovely large pine table to work on for six days! For some reason though, I didn't pack until the morning we were leaving and then I did a really poor job of it. I grabbed a few of those Ziplock bags I always have laying around with ephemera stuffed in them from previous projects, four bottles of acrylic paint, gel medium, scissors, and two ink pads. When I reached our borrowed cabin, and set about the task of enjoying some art time I realized I hadn't brought a single substrate. There was no paper, no canvas, no paintbrushes, there were no images, and I forgot the plastic tablecloth I use to protect our friend's table.

Now the town of Big Bay sports an old jail converted into an Outfitter, a tavern called Lumberjack Saloon, an inn named Thunderbay, and a tiny gas station/convenience store. As we entered the convenience store to pick up our supply of milk and the necessary vacation goodies, I spotted a young lady unpacking a case of soup. Cardboard box!! I asked her for he box and I knew I had plenty of substrate. The purchase of a Glamour magazine provided me with images and a small pack of children's paintbrushes covered me for the paint. My husband brought two large garbage bags for our trash and that became the cover for our friend's beautiful table.

My bags of ephemera contained some fun surprises and allowed me to create some cute collages. There was a certain satisfaction in being able to pull off some creativity with what I had on hand. My husband is always asking me if I never bought another art supply, would I still be able to create for years to come. The answer is yes, but what would be the kick in that? Purchasing supplies is half the fun! Besides, you never know what you'll need, it's always best to be prepared...........(at least, that's what I've heard)