Water Color number 2

Ok… so I am sort of getting the hang of this water color thing. I like this painting of one of my favorite spots. Cascade Lake idaho.

I do think that it is good to get out of one’s comfort zone every now and then. And I feel like the Lord has really been nudging me in this direction for a while.

I like a few things about water color. One is that the paint has a mind of it’s own. It moves across the paper, and the idea is to prepare in advance and put the water where you want the paint to go. So… less control. Yikes!.

I also love the negative space aspect. If I want a part of the paper to stay white, I need to plan ahead and leave that section dry. So… less control but more planning. Yikes again!

I can coax the paint by tipping the paper. And then I can let it dry, and come back in with the more fine details. I find that I’m painting in a looser style.

And I seem to be Ok with suggesting something instead of nailing it down. I have a painter friend who likes to tell me to leave the viewer bread crumbs instead of neon signs pointing the way. He says I need to trust my viewer to get what I’m trying to say.

Also, water color is well… water soluble. So no toxins. Not that I’m going to stop doing oil. But it is a plus.

And finally, I like it that I’m moving in a mixed media direction. There is gouash on this water color. And I can come in when it’s dry and use a fine pen and ink to create branches or grasses.

Anyway, this is fun! Hope you enjoy it.