Concept:

 

June 17, 2024, marked the 40th anniversary of purchasing my first set of oil paints, along with two brushes, a bottle of linseed oil, a bottle of odorless turpentine, a palette, and a three-pack of canvas boards.

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On a lovely Sunday afternoon, I walked about 3 ½ to 4 miles to my local mall's craft store and back home. Once I returned, I was eager to paint something. I didn't care about color, so I decided to paint a tree using burnt umber and white. However, I soon came to realize it was a disaster. My second attempt involved painting some coffee cups from our kitchen cabinet, and that turned out to be an even bigger failure. For my third attempt, I found a photo of a lighthouse in a Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedia, and that turned out okay, except for the waves I added to the painting.

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To celebrate this personal milestone, I decided to paint the tree I dreamt of painting 40 years ago. In effect, I'm giving myself a do-over also known as a "mulligan".