Why is it so easy for me to forget how fun it is to use watercolor with gesso? Messy, uncontrollable… fun! I have about 18 of these started, making ready for two different swaps. The Global heART Exchange, and Pals Poist, with Jacinta Moore. Maybe I will see you there.
Pals Poist was created by Jacinta. If you are interested, check her out on Instagram. Each artist connects with individuals they would like to swap with. The swap begins in March. There is no theme, and you can choose how many you would like to swap with. If you are not on Instagram, but want to swap, let me know in a comment.
I learned first hand, one of the qualities of this paper. Then found a YouTube video that demonstrated the same trait. Bee paper grabs the paint.
I’m not sure if I have used this paper before. I have a pack that I could swear was marked clearance. I thought because they were going to stop carrying it. But I found it is still for sale on the Michaels website. This paper is an odd size, 6 x 9 inches. It is:
140lb/300gsm
25 sheets
100% cotton
Acid free and archival
Cold press surface
Internally and externally sized
So it grabs the paint. What does that mean? Once you lay the color down, you can’t move it. On a high quality paper, you can go back into an area with water to soften edges, or move the pigment. I did this intentionally, but for example, the bottom right and top left of the table have hard edges. As opposed to smooth blends.
Having said that, I found this paper allowed me to blend smoothly. More so than I would usually want. You can see this throughout the piece. The background is two colors, and it is very hard to see where one begins and the other ends. I was working very quickly, and I am sure that helped.
The area where I discovered the difficulty was in the flowers. The front facing blooms. I added Burnt Sienna over the Cad. Yellow to mimic a two-toned petal. I wanted the second color to soften and spread along the entire length of the petal. Instead I ended up with a petal that was half yellow and half sienna. Chunky Monkey.
I was so intent on smoothing the petals, I forgot to scan the “before”. It took several attempts. And though I did manage to get a few smooth transitions, it is clearly visible that those blooms are darker. The side view buds are clean Cad. Yellow.
There is a texture to this paper. This video shows you better than I can explain. The grain did not show up in my painting or the scan. Very surprising that the paint did not settle and highlight it. I opened the scan up at 300 ppi in Photoshop, and still could not see it.
I was in a hurry to paint and I did not tape down the paper. I worked very wet and the paper only curled a bit on the top and bottom edges. Not bad at all. Terrific actually!
I found that I really enjoyed this size. It’s not too big, and not too small. It’s juuusst right. Ha ha. I was very comfortable with it. Blah, blah,blah. That is my long-winded way of saying I am surprising pleased with this paper! I am very happy with this piece.
Bee Paper sells a variety of products including journals. mixed media and pastel paper. I’d really like to try one of their journals.
Can you believe it? Thursday is the last day of #The100DayProject! I have to say, it has gone by fast. Due I am sure, to having so many distractions.
I was inspired again by the rain today. First Mingus disappeared, then the front range. Then they merged into one. A little lightening, and some small hail. We had two brief rain spurts. One in the morning, and then again in early evening. Also inspired by the O’Keeffe Postcard on my wall.
I would have liked more definition between the two ranges. I used a purple (Crimson Alizarin and Ultramarine) infused indigo for the front range. The red only shows in a couple of areas. But all is well. What happened in life, also happened on paper. One range in view. I also used a Le Pen. They are water soluble. Maybe that is the wrong term. I learned about these from Yevgenia Watts. Love her work, and love how she uses these pens.
#1
#2
#3
I have updated the #100DaysOfMingus gallery. I organized it by month. So if you choose to view a slideshow, it will not be an all day investment.
I am going to tell you that I did some coneflower studies in preparation for this painting. Truth is I botched the very first one, bottom left below. No use in wasting paper. Practice, practice. There is a link to this technique on my Pinterest Art Education Board. (For some reason, when I try to link to the pin, it brings up a search page.) I also goofed the stems in #8. I kept painting until they were barely visible. Ha ha ha .
Color studies
#9 was going really well. Until I finished. Only then did I realize I forgot the stems completely. I went back in and added them, but I think they could still use some work. A bit wonky.
