Second Time Around

Watercolour and story by Meri Furnari

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My name is Meri Furnari. I am a senior whose childhood dream was always to be an artist. I made picture after picture but faced discouragement from adults who insisted that making art is not a practical livelihood. I gave in to that threat and fear and went to college majoring in English Lit. That degree served me well and even now work as a freelance editor. In my 40s however, something happened and I could no longer ignore my artistic passion. I entered art school and was thrilled to make art 24/7 while there. It was a glorious indulgence but of course I emerged with a huge debt. I had to work full-time leaving little time to practice what I learned in school. Now that I am semi-retired, attending the Watercolor Academy would be a great opportunity to immerse myself once again in painting. I love the freshness and flexibility of the watercolor medium and there's always so much more to learn about it. Life is for learning and growing and I'm ever-ready to keep moving forward with watercolors. If I had access to these lessons, I would have a much-needed structure in which to practice and enjoy the thrill of study, growth, and production that the course would afford me. I want to share my work with others and earn money from it. So, selling my art is also an objective and I think that the Watercolor Academy could help me toward that goal. Realizing my dream of becoming a professional artist would bring me much joy and ultimate satisfaction after decades of putting art-making on a backburner. One of the wonders of art for me is making the ordinary extraordinary by focusing on it and putting new energy into every piece. I want to do this with different subjects: people, landscapes, and still lifes to enrich myself and viewers with the aliveness of watercolor. I will pursue this path no matter what.