My July watercolor diary. I placed my favorites in the middle. I am honestly pleased with just about every piece. There are two I’d call do overs. The florals at the bottom. I was trying to paint like someone else. A new method. Lesson learned. Haha.
I painted 8 others. Two of which are complete duds. I thought they could be fixed. But no, they fought me to the end. The rest are abstract landscapes and they might make an appearance in the future. I attempted another coneflower for a grand finale. Haha. Instead, some quiet, spindly little wildflowers. But I am exceedingly happy with the vase. Haha. Silver lining.
Thanks everyone, for following along. It is always a JOY to hear from you. Thank you!
Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Buddha
Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. Pablo Picasso
First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Octavia Butler
These tiny 2 x 2’s are fun to paint. A nice change. I think my favorite size hovers around 8 x 8 inches. Or 10 x 10. This weekend I will be continuing work on the bear. And I have started two other canvas pieces. One is 4 x 4, and the other is 12 x 12 I think.
The skyscape below was inspired by a real sunset. When I stepped away to get my phone, the light changed, and I missed getting the shot. The clouds were all shades of pink and orange, The sky was blue and lavender grey. Storm clouds moving through.
I first learned about the color Green Gold from Angela Fehr. She is one of the artist ambassadors for World Watercolor Month. Laurie Mueller uses it often in her work also. Or maybe it is her own blend, but it has the same jaw-dropping effect. Diluted, it is almost blindingly neon. But you can get a deeper, rich hue as well. It’s a favorite in my palette.
I am sharing two revisions with you. The scans came out too dark, and I was not happy with the “black” band at the bottom. I was behind, so I went ahead and posted them. In reality, The indigo was softer, and blended to a rich, dark green. The color bled into the wet areas above, and there are some soft “finger” like details. But I needed to blend the dark with the rest of the foreground.
I added a few more blades of grass, and I think they work much better now. What do you think? The revised scans are true to life, not as vivid as the first scans. The setting wasn’t right. I like them better now. To me, I think the green gold stands out more. The oranges are not overpowering. Do you like the first version better?
Stay firmly in your path and dare. Be wild two hours a day! Paul Gauguin
When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine. Pablo Picasso