I have always loved hand-painted tableware – since my mother had a “Vera” pattern cloth in the 1950’s. From 1968-2000, I had Italian made plates with bright red and yellow poppies. I find that many of my watercolor paintings are patterns, so when I bought a light-weight canvas tablecloth last week in preparation for a summer party, I found the temptation irresistible to try a “stain painting” on this surface. I had done stain paintings years ago – before I used brushes. Pouring paint on an un-gessoed canvas and drawing into the paint with black paint from a squeeze bottle is very freeing. Swish! and there is your permanent mark! I did one 15′ raw canvas in 1996 that is still used to cover a window seat and pillows. This past week I set up my drop cloth (Important! the paint will stain the floor, too), watery paints, brushes and Whosh! I have a new tablecloth. The paint is acrylic so it won’t fade or run. Here is my first tablecloth! (Meanwhile, the painting that I’m working on goes unfinished, still.)