These are really small, 3.5x5.5 inches, even smaller than postcards (4x6) but make for good practice. . With these, I was trying a few things out. I wanted to mix colors directly on the paper (wet on wet), glaze transparent washes over dried washes (wet on dry) and try out my new Lamy fountain pen.
This is my favorite one of the series below. It is the only one using ink. Unfortunately, the Lamy ink is not water proof, so the ink bled (which did create nice dark washes). I mixed the sky and clouds directly on the paper and you can see more color transition and gradation than I am normally able to achieve.
Mosquito Creek, Olympic National Park, WA
watercolor and ink on paper 3.5x5.5
I was a little impatient with this one and the color from the baby moose bled into the background, making it rather blurry. I mixed the trees in the foreground on the paper and when I did let the water dry, did several glazes of greens and browns on top to try and create the illusion of more distance. I think this one was semi-successful.
2 Moose, 1 Blurry, Isle Royale National Park, MI
watercolor on paper 3.5x5.5
The above two pictures used photo references while this one did not. I was very heavy handed with the water and flooded the paper. However, I really like the flows of color and the pigmentation that occurred organically as a result. The sky, clouds and foreground colors were all mixed on the wet, wet paper.
Golden Sunset (or Sunrise?)
watercolor on paper 3.5x5.5
One of my biggest goals regarding my art is to be able to incorporate both watercolor and pastels into a single unified look. Previous attempts have been equivocal, mostly because I would not completely commit to the process or I would decide, "Hey, that watercolor is fine the way it is" and not add pastels. But this time, I decided to be bold and, as the corporate jingle goes, just do it. I like these results much better.
Watercolor and Pastels on 140lbs watercolor paper 9x12
Below is the watercolor without pastels laid over the top. Like many of my watercolors, it lacked any compelling contrast; everything is a mid tone. The addition of the pastels added more interest; darker clouds and bolder mountains.
The rare landscape painting done in portrait mode. I felt the height of the sky was the most important design element and so I flipped the paper thusly. A friend sent me the view from her backyard and I felt inspired to paint it. The sky in the photo had more pinks than purples, but purple was where my mind was at. I also omitted the palm trees on the side of the painting. I thought about going all Bob Ross and doing a dark tree up the left side, but I just could not. I think it would have distracted from the sky.
Watercolor on 200lbs paper 14x10
I think I need a vacation. . .someplace with sunsets like this.
Watercolor on 200lbs paper 12x16
This is the largest watercolor I have ever done. I stood while painting and was very loose and free with the strokes. I think I futz too much with the sky but otherwise, I am rather happy with results.
And historically speaking. . .this marks my 22nd post of the year and the 200th over all. 2013 has now tied my third most product year since I started this blog in 2006. I doubt that I will ever match the first year (101), where I was posting pictures from a 10-20 year period.
Just because it feels like it is. . .
Watercolor on 200lbs paper 10x14
Completed using only Hake brushes (except for the two fishermen in the boat). This may very well be my favorite sky. Someone challenged me to work lighter and use more sensitivity with my brush work. I think I am getting better.
Spring is here. . .Finally. Was it just me or did it feel like Spring was never going to arrive? It was not a particularly bad Winter but even I, who does enjoy cold weather, was done-al la-done-done with the cold. It is time to be outside wearing shorts and sandals.
Watercolor on 120lbs paper 9x12
I woke up this morning feeling inspired. The entire house is clean, like we just moved in clean, that is how clean it is. The art room looks amazing and was calling to me. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by paints and pastels and racks of paper and art board and pads and all the supplies I have been gathering for the last decade.
I am very satisfied with the wet-on-wet technique used on the field. I even held up the painting so the water and color could just flow where it wanted. It makes an interesting effect.
And let me say, it took everything I had to go all Bob Ross on this painting and add the dark tree in the foreground. The painting needed something interesting up close, but it was very hard for me to paint over what I would normally call a finished painting. I think this means I am growing.
A friend of mine has been showing me photos of the magnificent view from their house at sunrise. Not a bad way to start the day. I am very happy with how this turned out, especially the wet on wet look of the water (something I have been struggling to master).
Watercolor on 140lbs paper 9x12
This was the first painting where I used a masque pen to block out shapes. Technically, since the clouds were darker than the morning sky, I could have painted on top of it once the paint dried. I had been meaning to try the pen and this was as good an opportunity as any. Below is the painting when I pulled off the latex.
