As a young child I loved to finger paint. I used to make my own paper dolls. I even colored strings of lights to cut out and hang on my dollhouses. But once kindergarten was done, things changed.

In elementary school we were given coloring sheets for holidays. Color between the lines. We would listen to radio broadcasts of a story and told to draw something based on the story. But what if I wanted to draw something different?

In middle school art class meant drawing the spectrum. Or drawing a three dimensional object. Or drawing a vase of flowers set on the teacher’s desk. Or some other such dreary project. But what if I wanted to draw something different? Needless to say, I switched to a music option as soon as it was available and art was quickly dismissed from my mind.

We had an art gallery in Winnipeg. While certain exhibits were interesting, art just was not my thing. Only one exhibit stands out in my mind and that was a Van Gogh exhibit I went to with my dad. I was about eight years old and I think it meant more to me because I was with my dad.

I attended a Norman Rockwell exhibit in Honolulu and was totally enthralled with The Toymaker.

Years later I discovered Thomas Kinkade and was especially captivated by his prints and tapestries of lighthouses. I had a beautiful one on my living room wall years ago when I lived in Canada.

I also attempted glass painting for a short while.

In Mexico I enjoyed visiting several art galleries in Culiacan, Guadalajara and Aguascalientes. I especially enjoyed the works of art involving vivid, bright colors.

Two years ago in Leavenworth I was introduced to adult coloring books. And I was hooked. I find it a very relaxing activity, even more so when paired up with music.

Last night I discovered something new. I went to a program at the Cashmere Library where I created four pieces of art with pastels. These were not the pastel crayons I was familiar with back in Canada. These were chalky and could be smudged with your fingertips. It brought back happy times of finger painting as a child, but this time it was pastels and not paint. I think of it as adult finger painting.

While my creative talents in the past have been mostly in writing and in music, perhaps there is hope for me as an artist.