Are you busy today? Are you staying cool? Are you on vacation? Or are you at home or work dreaming of being on vacation? Did you know that if you can unearth some photos you took on your last vacation now, you can de-stress and relive some of your memories by doing a little painting from your photo?

You can print out your photo on printer paper and fold it into quarters. Draw the same size quarters on your painting paper. Now, draw what you see only in the top, left hand corner, then the top right hand quarter, etc. Draw only what you like in the photo and cut out what you don't like. IMPORTANT! Once you get your drawing done on your paper, erase your lines that divided the paper into quarters. If you paint over your quarter marking lines, you are toast and the lines are there to stay. However, you can always paint the quarter shapes as a clever background and claim you meant to do that. (I've done this many times.)

If you like using apps on your phone or ipad you can get the GRID# app for free and figure out how to put a digital grid over your digital image.

Once you have your drawing on your paper and at this stage if you want to go over your pencil lines with ink, go for it. Ink adds lots to watercolor paintings.

When you are ready to paint if you are befuddled as to what colors to mix and use for your vacation location, just look up at my page header above and click on the shop button. That will take you over to my newly opened shop where I am selling custom paint sets for painting anywhere and to teach you the fun da mentals of color mixing. *** Ollie the beagle has insisted I give the first 5 shoppers who order a kit a free mini sketchbook filled with watercolor and sketching paper.