I did this large watercolor a few months ago. It started with an under-painting
done with a lot of wet on wet base acrylic washes. When dry, I just started painting the negative shapes with transparent washes, getting bolder and bolder as I went along. The more I painted, the more I saw where the images and shapes could go. The basic idea is to keep the colors clear, define the motion in the composition and build a depth that transparent watercolors can do so well.|
I have done this technique since my old days in California when I did a lot of big watercolors outside; moving from sun to shade as needed. The technique suits me as it is an exciting and very immediate way to paint. If you are familiar with my years of drawing in scratchboard, you know I love detail. Here, with this discipline, it’s more about feelings and movement. Drawing and painting to me is like music and movement and it’s more fun when it’s completely unpredictable. That makes it exciting.
Over time I have learned to give the art the freedom to paint itself. If you try too hard to turn it into something you see in your head, you run the risk of killing it by overwork. You can’t manipulate art into a pre-conceived idea because it isn’t pre-conceived. The idea has to have time and space to grow and develop.
The concept behind this kind of work is to take it slow and go where the composition tells you it wants to go. I used some clippings from the garden to draw from. I sold this painting last week and that’s very cool because it is giving me confidence to do another one and I really enjoy this way of painting.
I did another one of this style yesterday and took some pictures as I went along. I hope to put these pictures on my blog this week. I am toying with the idea of expanding this little blog into a learning/sharing place instead of the original idea of it solely being a record for me of what I’ve painted here since I landed in Mexico. I’ll see if it works out in terms of time. I want to add to my digital skill-set but I-ve been busy building houses and moving to another country. for the last few years. I think it will be fun to explore some other social media. and some other online exposure.
I adore my new workspace in my new house and my skylight that I paint under. The weather here in Mexico is always good for painting. Even when it’s pouring rain, it’s never cold or uncomfortably damp. It’s a dream for me because what I did not relish about the northwest was all the rainy days. Watercolors took forever to dry and it slowed me down.
Here’s a link to view this art on my Redbubble site
Painting Mexico 