Could I paint something I know nothing about? Tonight we watched a war movie and I jokingly said that I wanted to be a Navy Seal. Of course, everyone laughed at me and then someone responded with, "I don't think I'd feel any safer if you were a Navy Seal." I'll be honest, I was so offended I was speachless. (And everyone who knows me also knows that I am not easily speachless.. and I think that was the first time in my life I had absolutely no words at all.) Of course I don't want to join the Navy. Never have I had any desire even in the slightest to join any of the armed forces; Lord bless them. But I sat in the room shortly after looking at one of my paintings.. it was a happy painting, one of my most recent actually, rolling hills apple trees and a big beautiful sky. Basically the whole painting just speaks the word, "Peace." Could I paint a battle field? Of course I've never personally experienced a war and I realize that capturing the exactness and gruesomeness would be basically impossible due to my lack of artistic painting abilities but I suppose I could paint chaos, darkness and death if portrayed correctly. I would do such a painting no justice, but I think I'd like to try. And though I have always believed that you should write or paint about things you know I think it might be interesting just to try it sometime. It could never hurt.