Dots and lines

There's a word I learned from my old neighbours when I arrived in Spain a long time ago. It is "bochorno." I could describe it as a day that is too hot and humid, with the sun hidden behind the clouds or that layer of humidity. Well, today I think it is a similar day. The sun is reluctant to come out, and there is a bit of humidity, although luckily the heat is bearable, at least for me. I prefer being on my balcony instead of inside with the air conditioning on. I really don't like it.

So that's why I'm outside now, even when writing this post, and to keep myself entertained this Sunday afternoon, do you know what I thought? That I should finally try out those tools my son gave me a... _{oh, I can't remember when...} a long time ago! Let's just say it that simply.

These tools look like pens with two metal tips, rounded at the ends. These rounded, little ball-like points come in several sizes, so you can draw dots on diverse surfaces and get that dot effect in different colours and sizes. Since my son knew that I sometimes decorate pebbles I used to decorate pebbles, he thought it would be useful for me to have these tools.

Today seems to be the time to open this long-received gift and try it out. I chose four colours with which I wanted to start learning how to make dots on pebbles, which I didn't paint with a base this time. This was just for testing, so I didn't care whether I would try it on the natural grey colour of the rocks or on a painted pebble. The day is so grey without the sun anyway, everything is kind of pale, so I don't even know if the pictures will look good, but I guess these colours of blue, white, yellow and green will bring a little variety to the greyness of the day. (I squeezed out some green acrylic paint from the tube, but in the end I didn't even use it; I was fine with only three colours.)

So, I started dipping these rounded tool tips into the acrylic paint, and the dots began to appear on the grey background of two pebbles I got for today's teeny painting practice. Dots and lines were coming without any previous idea or design, just what was coming into my mind at the moment.

For sure, somehow we always tend to organise our things (and our dots) symmetrically, so I think I was also trying to make some order in these improvised lines, dots and colours.

Larger dots dried more slowly, as you can see this large blue dot I started with remained undried for a long time. But I could draw around it and work on two different shapes - on two pebbles simultaneously.

At first, I liked just this one how it was turning out; I was not satisfied with the second one though.

It had a kind of "square shape" that I didn't know what to do with. However, once I made some progress with the first stone (which has a big blue dot in the centre) and let it "rest", I started adding more dots and lines to the second pebble and eventually I started to like it too.

In the end, I don't know what they are! 😂 One looks like a flower, I think. The other, I am not sure. An unidentified composition of blue, yellow and white dots and lines. However, I also tried to place dots over other dots. The only issue is that you have to let the first layer dry where you want to add another colour and to try not to move the tool, but to press it down without "trying to draw" the circle or dot. Ok, more practice is needed for this activity (much more) and maybe watching some tutorials as I didn't do any previous research on how to use them (smart, right? 🤣), but I think it is not so bad for the first time playing with these dotting tools.

... and I am still here, outside! 😂