Ok so I have this one gross jar of rinse water that I never dump because I swear the muddy gray-pink it turns after a few days is useful?? and today I went to clean my brush and the top layer had gone this like dusty rose with a greenish rim at the edge and I just stood there staring at it like an idiot for probably four minutes with a wet brush in my hand. Tried to mix it on the palette. Could not. Not even close. It's like the jar knows things I don't.

Anyway I'm three layers into the window painting again (the one I've done maybe eleven times now, the light comes through it around 4:30 and it's a completely different painting than it was in June) and I think I finally understand why people get weird about watercolor. You can't fudge it. Gouache you can go back in and cover your sins, it's forgiving, it lets you pretend. Watercolor just sits there being exactly what you did, forever, in front of everyone. My teacher used to say the medium keeps receipts and I used to think that was a cute thing to say to first years and now I think about it constantly.

Also I ruined a whole sheet yesterday because I sneezed. Full sneeze. Right over the wet wash. There's a spray of tiny dots across the sky now and honestly it's kind of a nice texture but I'm furious about it.

What's in everybody's rinse jar right now. I want to know I'm not the only one hoarding cursed water.