Written by I’ve always found fossils fascinating as they provide a glimpse into life thousands of years ago. Though, in truth, they’re a touch morbid if you consider it’s a dead organism, trapped in layers of sediment, but still an amazing fingerprint of life. As I kid, I wanted more than anything to turn over a rock and find some image of an ancient creature on the other side. I’m equally certain, that at some point I was determined to become an archeologist, but that was mainly a side effect of reading too much National Geographic. In truth, I wanted to find a little dinosaur, but only succeeded in discovering wormy looking things. The most popularly stated number of years it takes for something to become a proper fossil is 10,000. The same number they use to describe how long it takes to master a craft of some kind. 10,000 days. Since I only spend an hour a day on watercolor, I guess I can hope for full mastery in 25 more years. To me, that’s comforting as it just means that I have plenty of time.
These time periods are simply theories, of course, and not everything has to follow the same path. If you’re naturally talented at something, the road to mastery is much shorter. And if you’re a lobster egg in a laboratory, scientists can fossilize you in their lab in just 2-8 weeks. Like most things in life, you can’t really put a single number on it. Right now, I’m in a mood for experimentation with my watercolor, but I’m not entirely sure where I’m going to take it next. I find it interesting when people talk about mastery in art because that implies there’s a specific way to do something. There’s really not. But if you want to be “like” the masters before you, you’ll likely know when you’ve achieved it. If instead, you venture down your own path, it’s far less obvious to know when you’ve mastered anything at all. Once you remove comparisons, mastery doesn’t mean anything anymore.
So, or anyone reading this who finds 10,000 days to master something a little overwhelming, you can relax. It’s not always the case and better yet, not really even the point when it comes to art. As we artists know, we’re on an endless and fabulous journey. There’s that amazing day where everything clicks and you feel like you’ve conquered something and that next day when you want to dunk your head in the paint water. But each little layer of paint we apply, captures the world and life in ways that only we can see it. Sometimes, I think my little doodlewashes are a bit like little fossils. Capturing a frozen moment of life. Though since it’s my opinion of life, I doubt they’ll serve to help scientists in the future. But they might just make someone, years from now, who happens to discover them, smile a bit. For my part, I’ll just keep right on painting a little thing every day, throwing mastery to the experts, and blissfully enjoying the feeling of being lost in time.
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About the DoodlewashSennelier L’Aquarelle: Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Dioxazine Purple, and Ultramarine Deep, and Payne’s Grey. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon with sepia ink in a little red cloth hardbound l’aquarelle journal I found in a Paris shop. |
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That looks tricky, but expertly handled as usual! I just tried to find some picture of a spider fossil I remember that was mind blowingly old, but honestly got a bit unsettled by the pictures, so stopped looking. 😛 They are amazing things, though – what a time capsule!
Twenty-five more years? Well, I thought you’d pretty well mastered the watercolour when I first arrived here – that windmill was a doozy! 😉
Thanks so much, Jacob! 😃💕 Yeah, this was tough one. Too many bones! Lol But yep… 25 more years, give or take! I’m far from mastery. Spiders freak me out… but you know I’m going to google that.
this little guy is cute –
Thanks so much, Jenn! 😃💕
I love the purple shadows. And it’s all an adventure! (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕 So glad you liked this one.
Today was one of those days when everything seemed to “click” for me in my weird way! Lol! 😄 I enjoyed your post today, as always Charlie! 💕😘 Keepin making art!! 🎨👍
Thanks so much, Jill! 😃💕 And yay to clicking!! hehe… never stop making art as well. You always paint smiles.
That is so sweet Charlie! Thank you! 😃
I find fossils to be works of art on their own. The intricate lacy shapes of the vertebrae call me to draw and paint them.
There are living dinosaurs, but you won’t find them under rocks. They mostly like to hang out in trees and bushes.. I love the critters, ancient or contemporary. In fact, I have a companion avian dinosaur as a roommate. He’s a blue and white budgie.
That’s awesome, Elizabeth!! 😃Your roommate sounds really cool! hehe Love that! yeah… fossils are so fascinating. This is the first time I’ve tried to actually sketch one though.
Yes, he’s a terrific little guy, full of life, song, friendly, playful and inquisitive.
Fossils are picturesque, whether partial or complete. They have their stories to tell, mostly hidden. I’m planning on doing a series of fossil sketches, and I’m not limiting myself to earth colors. And, they even stay nice and still for their portraits.
What a wonderful way to view life, Charlie. And a wonderful painting of a little critter who’s got a million years to think about it.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this… something a bit different. Fossils are more complicated to sketch than I expected!
A wonderful thing a fossil, I wonder what sort of life your fossil had? We can still learn so much 😀
So true!! 😃💕 Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Not sure what kind of life this little guy had. It’s so fascinating to imagine.
Wonderful words! Very inspiring. Oh yeah, and I like your fossil painting 😉
Awww thanks so much! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this post!
This is a fine fossil, Charlie. Ten thousand days to master something? That’s daunting…
Thanks, Tom! 😃💕 I know right? Thankfully it’s not actually the case for most people. hehe… but, I’ll still be celebrating my mastery if I’m painting 25 years from now!
The painting must have been challenging, just plotting out all the details! The writing is already masterpiece level, how you wove the theme of 10,000 back and forth from fossils to painting skills.
Thanks so much!! 😃💕 I’m so happy you liked this one! I tend to make connections on the spot, so I’m glad you liked how this post turned out!
I love fossils, and I especially love your fossil painting. I agree with you on mastery. I’ve always felt ‘mastery’ = ‘boredom’. If there is nothing left to learn, what’s the point.
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 Exactly… I think the learning process is the most fun! I’m still the kid wanting to discover things!