Tapering Storm. 5 x 7 in. watercolor on Yupo. 2016 Sheila Delgado
This was an experiment. The hills were painted with a palette knife. Palette knife, Yupo, watercolor. I am not entirely sure those three things go together. I delayed posting this for six days because I thought it was hideous. Really, the only saving grace is the blue hill. Interesting textures going on there.
Done on a cold and rainy morning, the blustery view was still better than how my depiction turned out. By noon the sun was out the hills clearly visible.
1. view of Mingus mountains.
2. view of Mingus mountains.
3. view of Mingus mountains.
4. view of Mingus mountains.
5. view of Mingus mountains.
Kim Smith hit the nail on the head. I seem to be caught in an ebb. Everything I have tried to paint has been a major flop. Working my way through the lessons from Sandy Sandy‘s Alcohol Inks course, and nothing is turning out. I have wiped all the ugliness, so there is no proof. Tried again with what I know best, watercolor and paper, and another ugly was born. (The sky is not bad in this.)
Single Tulip. 5 x 5 in. watercolor on 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2016 Sheila Delgado
So I am working, and plodding along. I should have started a large canvas for my cousin, but I decided I was not ready to fail on a HUGE scale. So I turned to what I thought would be an afternoon’s task. (Avoidance, yes, I know.)
I went through the last three of my tubs from the move. Five days later I am still organizing the contents of the last one. Cards and letters from family and friends. FOUR decades worth. UGH! A task I have wanted to complete for at least 15 years. So I suppose that counts for something. Maybe with that minor success under my belt, I can find success with my brush once again!
Going through the correspondence, I am finding forgotten treasures. And reminders of adventures I had forgotten. Letters from my Grandmother’s, who are both long gone, special indeed. And photos! I will finally have all my photos in one place. Then I can begin to sort, and scan and share them with family!
Found this sketch, from the late eighties. A stick and some ink. It is goofy, but even more goofy is that fact that at some point I found it worthy of a mat! It makes me think of the blond in the Muppet band.
Enjoy your weekend!
Hi Sheila – Have never used Yupo to paint on but have used for cutting masks for printmaking – expensive masks – so back to cheaper paper! Experimenting is good! Your painting has lovely textures and colour. Can you go back in with gouache or acrylic? Just curious how far you can go. Love the ‘blonde girl’ sketch. Look forward to seeing more.
You can Janet. It is still completely workable. But that also means the layers could be lost. (Because they are watercolor). I could also wipe parts of it off and start over 🙂
TOTALLY love A Stick and Some Ink! TOTALLY love that you are experimenting and posting! Go, Sheila : )
Go Dotty Go! 🙂
I have no idea what Yupo paper is or reacts. But I do love this piece! You are being hard on yourself… yes its not in your comfort zone,,, but continue, I love palette knife and keep coming back to it although I treated myself to some great Rosemary brushes. I didn’t know that the palette knife could be worked with watercolor. Do you add something to it to thicken it?
I don’t think you are supposed to use it with watercolor Carol. I did not add anything, but the paint was on the thicker side, not wet wet. I brushed the paint onto the knife, but only because I did think to pull out my butchers tray, or a larger (flat) pallet.
Yupo is basically plastic paper. I wrote about it here: http://www.sheiladelgado.com/2016/01/day-9-of-30-paintings-in-30-days/
So excited for you and your new brushes Carol!
What a fix you are in! I like the mountains in the first piece too, Yupo is such a pain to work with and I applaud your efforts to keep trying. Interesting pics of the mountains and your ‘blond girl’ sketch is fun. Hope things go better tomorrow.
Ha Ha Ha , thanks Val! We all have those days don’t we 🙂
Hi Sheila! Wow, such beautiful texture on that painting on Yupo. Love that mountain. I know Yupo paper is tricky to work on. Would love to see more of this kind of work. Have a nice weekend!
Thanks Corinne 🙂 It was fun to experiment, I’d like to try this on a full sheet. ( I think it is 9 x 11) Hope you are doing well and feeling better 🙂