Coming to Life / July 13, 2026

July 13, 2026

Coming to Life

in-the-trenches mentoring
             —happy for the reminder, boyoga

bluejay by nuthatch,
my words alight on the page—
thank you, anne lamott

—dotty seiter

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Alight
3.75 x 4″; watercolor and ink on paper
mood-mini
2026

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Notes about poem and art:
• “in-the-trenches” is a poem of happiness and gratitude for friends and mentors and the gift of putting words on the page.

• As writing goes word by word, so painting goes brushstroke by brushstroke and, in the case of this watercolor mood-mini, by flow, letting color move through water and make its own decisions. Alight alit in my sketchbook while on vacation in Maine in June. 

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1. 

   carol lee

   July 13, 2026 at 4:44 am

   Edit

   Sitting by the pool. Wishing it was Maine!

   Lovely poem about gratitude. We have so much to be grateful for.

   Love your watercolor. Even though we let the paint do it’s thing, that is part of our decisions, along with colors and substrate. How did you make those fine lines?

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      July 13, 2026 at 5:49 am

      Edit

      Yay for your sitting by the pool! Gotta love it : )

      Yes, so much to be grateful. I am grateful to be grateful!

      Thanks for your mention of how letting paint do its thing is part of our creative decision-making. Yup.

      Fine lines drawn using Signo Uniball ink pens, using more delicate touch with silver than with gold.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. 

         carol lee

         July 13, 2026 at 8:33 am

         Edit

         They work like a resist?

         Liked by you

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         1. 

            Dotty Seiter

            July 13, 2026 at 9:26 am

            Edit

            No resist. I first wet the page relatively randomly, then dropped watercolor in with brush, next moved color both by moving brush and by tipping page in varied directions, after that let it dry, finally drew my lines with pen. Does that answer your question?

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            1. 

               carol lee

               July 13, 2026 at 11:33 am

               Edit

               Yes! Thanks!

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2. 

   Joyful Puttering

   July 13, 2026 at 7:29 am

   Edit

   You have such a gift for putting words on the page as well as finding moody movement in your little paintings making them Come to Life. I’m always swept away with your posts!

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      July 13, 2026 at 7:43 am

      Edit

      MaryAnn, thank you for your kind, affirming, heart-opening words. I sit here on this delicious July morning, fresh air and light coming in the skylight just above my desk, and your friendship and warmth coming in the door of my blog. I’m rich! So glad that in the vastness of the world wide web, you found now playing and I found joyful puttering. Win, win!

      Liked by 1 person

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3. 

   Joyful Puttering

   July 13, 2026 at 9:36 am

   Edit

   Win win indeed!

   Liked by you

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4. 

   lolajovan

   July 13, 2026 at 3:31 pm

   Edit

   “the gift of putting words on the page”…and I am deeply grateful for your gift of doing just that. It has made my own life richer, deeper, more profound. And also your gift for putting color and line and texture on paper, which my eyes eagerly devour. Thank you for all of your gifts! xoxoxo

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      July 13, 2026 at 3:48 pm

      Edit

      Lola, thank you for this abundance of presents!!! It was the combination of putting words on the page and putting color and line and texture on paper (and canvas) that connected us each to the other over a decade ago and keeps us connected and eagerly devouring blog post after blog post to this very day! Gosh darned amazing!

      xoxoxo

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5. 

   Sheila Marie Delgado

   July 14, 2026 at 7:11 pm

   Edit

   Gratitude is my attitude. Yes! I am grateful, I have so much to be grateful for. xoxo

   I can’t help but think of cloudy skies, looking at your piece. We had ou first monsoon rain yesterday. Hooray! I love the shapes, the layering, and the light.

   Happy continued creating to you, dear Dotty! xoxo

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      July 14, 2026 at 7:46 pm

      Edit

      Gratitude IS your attitude, and I’m grateful to have had your model to follow, Sheila!

      Tell me more about your first monsoon rain—do you have a monsoon “season” where you live? What is the average annual rainfall? You live in such a different environment to me!

      Thanks for you nod to the shapes, layering, light, and clouds in my piece.

      Happy continued creating to you, too. xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
6. 

   Sheila Marie Delgado

   July 21, 2026 at 7:04 pm

   Edit

   Hi Dotty. We do have a monsoon season. It is usually from mid June to the end of September. This year we are off to a great start. After many years of below average rain fall. It was very blustery yesterday. It rained about 3 inches in one hour. We made the news, which is rare. There was flooding in some areas, but no one was hurt. Our area usually gets about 12 inches a year. ;o)