"Old Wall" (experimental piece)

(unavailable....4" x 6"....experimental watercolor work)

"Generosity is a state of mind that is always giving." My main focus today was experimentation rather than a finished piece. However, I felt compelled to include some lettering and an original quote.

Old walls, peeling paint, along with discoloration and patina have long been a passion. I can stand in front of an old wall and have the same passion that I feel in front of an exceptional work of art. So I have some new materials and needed to play around with them and this small 4" x 6" is the result.

It is a watercolor incorporating masking fluid and watercolor ground in between layers. This is my jumping off point for a series of "old wall" pieces that will be shown in an upcoming exhibit called "Poetic Collections".

I began with pale washes of watercolor, but after the first layer (with the paper bone dry), I brushed on a band of masking fluid with a sponge brush. After that dried, I glazed over the entire piece with another dilute wash....dried with hair dryer....removed masking fluid. These steps were repeated several times and then I created a new shape on the right hand side and bottom by brushing on a dilute portion of the watercolor ground, followed by drying and painting again.

Of course, lettering was adding along the way along with some erratic lines. So the creation of this look is similar to the gesso works, but with different materials. I do like the watercolor because it adds a great deal more luminosity than acrylics.  (Better seen in the original)  This piece will stay in my notes and I will continue experimenting until the "old wall" series is completed. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.