... looking, and will surprise me with how they answer the question “What do you see?”

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear (Lao Tzu)” We had finished the addition to our house that included a studio for my future life as a painter when Myrtle , a centenarian watercolorist from Springfield, MO, moved in across the street to live with her daughter and son-in-law. My husband suggested I ask her to be my painting teacher. So when Myrtle invited me over to play in her studio I became her student in what she called Saturday afternoon kindergarten. She taught me about paying attention and beginner’s mind. She told me I would never graduate. Some of the many lessons of Myrtle’s kindergarten included:

1. Don’t copy someone else’s work without permission.
2. Less is more.
3. Don’t be afraid…it’s only paper.
4. Paint with more than your hand.
5. Treat mistakes as opportunities.
6. Learn something new every day.
7. Prepare for your next stage before you get there.