Tag: watercolor

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Exploring Color Options, WIP

Michele B. Naquaiya

I’ve been wanting to expland and explore color for a long time. It seems like the time has come. I bought a new empty palette and no funds to fill it. If you have any idea of how pricey good watercolors can be, be aware that living in Mexico can make what is hard even harder when it comes to getting quality art materials. It’s getting easier, but believe me, it’s still a struggle. Over a year and a half ago I bought Graham’s watercolor collection and got sick without a chance to open them up. I forgot about them. Well, I decided to look through my stash and see if there were any remnants of colors I could scrape together to make the new palette I wanted. I spent two days rescuing tiny bits of paint and putting them in the new palette and also discovered the missing Graham colors. Turns out they are wonderful. Hurray Portland, OR. So here’s what I put together which I am exploring. The idea is to use only or mostly granulating colors. Use no greens, build your own (I cheated and allowed myself Grahams’ Veridian because I love it so. I built cooler and warmer tones a tube of Veridian only. So, here’s what I put together as a beginning palette.

This palette makes an amazing difference. Here is the first stage of a street scene done in granulating and mixing colors. Already I can see a complete transformation of how I work. It’s pretty cool and encouraging to make a change and actually see a difference.

abstract imagination, whimsy

sepia ink sketch street scene

Michele B. Naquaiya

I am offering a class in imaginary street scenes in different ink and wash media. Right now, it’s only in person here in San Antonio, Tlayacapan, Jalisco, Mx. If this interests you, let me know. I may do it online in the future. This particular ink is ellusive as it lifts with a wash. That’s a challenge but also intriguing.

watercolor, whimsy

Retro Old Fashioned House with DOG

Michele B. Naquaiya

How about an old house with huge chimney, red roofs, topiary trees and a little dog. Here she is as sweeet as can be waiting for you when you come home from a hard day at the factory. Doesn’t my new watercolor drawing sort of look like something right out of a post victorian novel? I’m doing a new series where I incorporate lots of texture to drawing with watercolor pencils over my value studies. Seems that people here are liking this style. Watch for more. see it on products

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On being yourself

Michele B. Naquaiya

It seems like today the world is scrambling frantically to survive. Countries, monies, systems in general are upsidedown. That goes for people too. Just look around anywhere and there are more lies that exist today about what is going on than probably any other times in history. As one small person, what can you do? I think your choices are small but that doesn’t mean you should forget about who you are in the big picture.
I was born an artist, from a creative and survivalist family of movers and shakers. Well, kind of. They survived a hell of a lot and tomorrow will be l23 years ago my mom was born. One good thing I realize is that even though her life was extremely difficult she accomplished a lot and left an amazing legacy. Too bad my children never knew any of it but I take a lot of responsibility on that one. I was young and stupid and asleep at the wheel in that territory. I was only trying to survive myself. For her time, she lucked out and died at 65, not having seen any of her kids expire before her.
What this has to do with being yourself is that I’ve learned you really can’t change who you are. You can modify it, you can adapt it to the rules of society so that often means what shape you are in. Physical, mental and emotional states are all reflections of how you are doing. I learned something yesterday and even though I’ve learned it over and over and over again, I still manage to plod on and it often still escapes me. I was born with a mind and body that followed my heritage, my lineage, my general attitude.

I always drew since childhood, pencil in hand and I’ve tried to change who I am through every stage of life. It doesn’t work and it never worked to try to change. The bottom line for me is that I remember mom saying of all her 12 children, I always woke up happy and smiling. The world always looked rosy to me. Every day was a new world with fun things to look forward to. I think of her and respect what she said. I am finally respecting who I am. I have always struggled to be like everybody else and it has never worked. So hopefully as I get older, I will realize that there is a lot of worth of what mom said about me….in one simple sentence.
I am learning the difference between trying to be like everybody and fit in, or trying to follow my own unique path. Looking around the insanity of behaviors I see around me, my sensible side says I don’t give a damn what they are doing, I’m staying on my path. So I’m playing with simple art, fun and cheerful stuff. I like it and believe enough in myself to just offer it up. Here you go world, it is what it is.