After a two-week break in our Monday classes we were back today to try a simple still life. I brought my stargazer lilies, which had been trampled on in the car by my dog, Itchy; they were looking a little droopy. Marie wanted us to do small value studies, trying to find a new composition each time. I found it difficult to come up with variations and, as usual, to use the full range of values. It was a good exercise. When I took a Chinese brush painting class, we ground our ink prior to beginning to paint, which was not only practical, but acted as a kind of centering, a way of moving the brain somewhere else. (11x15) After the studies, there were only 20 minutes left in class to play around with some color. (11x15)