today i have spent some time reading art books.  i took some notes/rules from them and i plan to cut them out and stick them up in my art room.  tomorrow i will read about painting the seasons, because each season has different problems associated with it. 
i picked a picture to paint from the many i have taken.  i sketched it, and i have found where i want the eye to go in the painting, and thought about how i am going to change the picture.  i have picked a simple picture because it is easy to get overwhelmed with complicated pictures.