"Leaf Duet"

($80.00.......8" x 8"......watercolor on Fabriano 300 lb. CP....mounted on a flat panel)

"Fall duets hang on with fierce determination." Fall is definitely here and so I have my North Carolina leaves from last year all mounted in a journal for easy reference. This is my favorite time of the year!

If you have ever been on a trip to the "Smokies" or the East Coast during the fall, you will undoubtedly love to bring some of those treasured leaves home with you. You might even find some in Central Texas worth preserving. I will share my way of preserving them just in case you're interested.

After gathering your leaves...tuck them between wax paper and place them in a book. (preferably with a rock on top to give them a good pressing) When you return home, take them outside and spray them with Spray Acrylic Coating and lay them out to dry. (both sides)

You are then ready to mount them in a journal with gel matte medium (undiluted). Glob a lot of medium over the stem area and then leave to dry overnite. It does take awhile since you must wait for the gel matte medium to completely dry before going to the next page.  The color will stay for a long time...like several years or longer. They also look good just piled in a wooden bowl for a centerpiece. 

The leaves today were begun with a soft neutral tint in the background on very wet paper. I did a bit of writing in the wet pigment with a bamboo pen and then left it to dry.

The leaf color was not painted with one glaze. After drawing the leaf shapes on the paper very lightly with a pencil, I painted them with a dilute portion of raw sienna on dry paper...blotting every so often with a kleenex. This first glaze was dried with a hair dryer and then I began the second glaze with green and raw sienna fairly diluted and also blotting with a kleenex. This glaze was then dried.

The last glaze was sepia + the green color + a touch of alizarin crimson. This was applied and dried in the same fashion. The last bit was the leaf tips and a few spots of sepia with a bit of the last glaze. After painting in the leaf tip, I banged the brush in water and squeezed out the excess water and then softened the edge of the leaf tip and spread the brown out a bit. The spots where placed on with the tip of the brush and then some extra was splattered very finely into the background. I also did a very, very light glaze of the yellow green mixture from top to bottom...right over the leaves.

Lettering was done with a mechanical pencil sharpened on a sandpaper block and held completely vertical to get as fine a line as possible and to shade the down strokes. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"A Poetic Collection"

(unavailable....4" x 6".....watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb. CP....mounted on masonite)

"A poetic collection fell to the ground." The fall is a perfect time to see all kinds of poetic collections while taking a walk. The very small leaf in this piece had three seed pods sitting on top so I brought it back to the studio. What was so interesting to me is that these three small pods have not moved from that leaf. It is like a still life found.

Noticing small things in nature and in art is the chief business of the artist. For instance, this piece has a variety of different types of edges. And edges can make or break a piece. The first set of edges were created with masking fluid over the first initial wash and the paper being thoroughly dried. So after all of the glazes were finished, and the masking fluid removed, there is softer and harder edges based on the gradated color in the lettering. So many different effects can be achieved by when you decide to include masking fluid.

The second set of edges were created in the initial wash using "neutral tint". This is actually the name of the color and turns into a beautiful gray on wet paper. After the sheen of the water leaves the paper, these letters were written with a more concentrated amount of pigment and a pointed brush. The edges became softly diffused.

I then created some black erratic lines with pen and FW ink which created a few more shapes and some very hard edges. The seed pods on the leaf were then painted followed by the pencil lettering. The lettering was "beefed up" a bit after initially being written. All done with an extremely sharp pencil (sharpened on a sandpaper block) to create very thin lines. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Open Hands"

(unavailable....4" x 6"....Fabriano 140 lb. CP....mounted on masonite)

"Open hands lead to joy." The idea of open hands implies generosity to others. This is one of those life principles that may feel like an oxymoron, but actually leads to joy. The tendency so often in all of us is to think that holding on to something with a tight fist is the way to keep it. It's actually the opposite.

If you like contemporary watercolor and don't know how to begin...try wetting the paper thoroughly on both sides and then wiping off the excess water with a sponge. You can then choose one of two techniques I particularly like. Sometimes I like to place watercolor randomly on a glass table or piece of glass and then lay the wet paper into the paint to create a soft mono print. The other way is to mix up a color such as "neutral tint" and use a mop brush to lay in some color randomly on the wet color without covering the entire sheet. Lay the color down and be done. (Not more than (2) passes of the brush in any other.)

Let this layer dry somewhat and then use a more concentrated amount of color, make some gestural strokes or words with a small pointed brush as well as some erratic lines. Also create the same marks with a bamboo pen into the wet paint. Go away and let these layers dry completely or at least until the water and pigment have stopped moving. At that time, you can finish drying with a hair dryer.

Some criss cross bands of other colors can then be laid in...one at a time...and drying in between. Last, but not least create some marks with a stick or pen dipped into FW Ink as well as some erratic lines going from edge to edge.

You can then finish the piece with some lettering or leave as is. It's just one way to create a contemporary look with shapes, lines, and color. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Give Thanks"

(unavailable....4" x 6".....on Fabriano 140lb. CP....mounted on masonite)

"Give thanks in all things." (I Thessalonians 5: 18) This is one of many 4" x 6" pieces I have been creating for an upcoming exhibit called "Poetic Collections". Save the date for October 4th. That date marks the Opening Reception. Check out the website for complete information. (pactofaustin.com)

This particular size is a good one for creating small works and test driving any new techniques you are interested in before committing to a larger work. Today's piece is actually a cropped portion of a larger work that was not totally successful. It is a watercolor created on Fabriano 140lb. CP. It will now be mounted on masonite.

The idea of creating artwork on a daily basis is a stepping stone to improving skill level and then having the fortitude to try larger things. In fact, today's article from Artist's Daily is all about the idea of creating a page each day in an art journal. The following link will give you the complete article which is quite inspirational. (artists-newsletter@artists-hub.com) You can actually sign up to receive this everyday if you're interested. A range of topics are covered and books are offered at a reasonable price.

I can attest to the fact that daily blogging has taken me to new places in my art journey. My friend Sue, also began blogging at app. the same time and she has a similar story about her work. Check out her blog at (http://susancosta.wordpress.com/)

However, if blogging is a bit too intimidating, an art journal is definitely a more "user friendly" way of creating your work on a daily basis. Whatever you decide, it is absolutely true that repetitive practice elevates skill level. The water is warm so jump right in! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Notice" (final)

($125.00.......6" x 12".....Watercolor on 300 lb. Fabriano CP....Mounted on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Noticing, naming, and writing things down makes them visible to the heart." The piece is now finished, but there will probably be more quotes and pieces inspired by One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. She documents her grateful observations by writing them down and also with a digital camera.

And I will document mine with pieces of art. The idea of painting small observations from our created world in the context of abstraction really appeals to me. Of course, the problem is.....everything seems to appeal to me! It is quite the dilemma, but I am muddling my way through and making every effort to observe and notate that which inspires me more than all of the others. Alas, there are only so many hours in the day and one cannot do everything on this side of eternity.

There really isn't a whole lot to add to what I've already said about the techniques used to create this piece. The lettering is the only new addition, so I will say something about that. Values are important, even when lettering. After preparing this surface for lettering since it had (3) layers of spray acrylic coating, I wrote the quote with a Leonardt Principal nib and Bleeedproof White (WN brand). For the byline and my signature, I added just a bit of black gouache to the white to make a gray. This keeps the viewer focused on the actual quote rather than an extreme white byline and signature.

Too often, artists write their signature in such a contrasting value that it becomes a distraction. It all goes back to hierarchy of script. The most important things should be the most visible in size and value. From there on, any additional writing needs to drop down in size and value. It's just a good tip for all artists, even if you don't do lettering. Most artists have a signature on their work. That signature cannot be the first thing that the viewer notices. Otherwise, the focus of the visual communication has been compromised.

Just as a recap....the key components of this piece include a combination of different shapes and sizes...a full range of values...a full range of edges and erratic lines...transparency and opacity. That hits all of my favorite things. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Notice" (draft 2)

(draft 2)

Since I explained the quote in the first draft, I will not repeat it again today. The final will be posted tomorrow with the quote written in white to the left of the feather. The values are the biggest change since yesterday.

It is a temptation in watercolor to keep the values on the light side and have that extreme "watercolor" look as in the first posting. However, it is the range of values that brings a piece together. If everything is too much at one end of the gray scale, then the piece falls short of having balanced visual weight. It was a bit scary, but I did (4) separate glazes over the darkest area in this piece...losing one edge with a brush dipped in water.

You can clearly see today that the masking fluid used in the second layer never gets completely lost, even under the darkest areas. In fact, those areas can look luminous after they're glazed with a dark tint. The only area that remained virtually untouched with the exception of one and then another partial glaze is the shape to the right of the feather.

In looking back at some of my earliest work in the first year of blogging, I realized that I habitually like to create shapes using a "plaid" pattern approach. By using different sized brushes and creating bands of color from edge to edge in both directions, many shapes are created...with a range of rectangular shapes.

And this is what it is interesting about every artist. Each one has their own habitual marks that seem to crop up in any style or medium. It might be a fun exercise to look at all of your work together and see what habitual marks keep showing up. It definitely will give you an insight into your own personal voice. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Notice" (draft 1)

(draft 1)

"Noticing, naming, and writing things down makes them visible in our heart." This quote is a paraphrase from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This is a book that will create a paradigm shift in your life. It is all about noticing and naming the everyday things in life as an act of gratitude.

This is the second piece created in watercolor and inspired by kiln formed glass. When transparent glass is layered and then fired...a very rich surface is created. It can be all transparent or a combination of transparency and opacity.

Transparent watercolor is another way to achieve a similar look. For all of my glass fusing friends...it is also a way to practice before committing your design to glass. (And a lot cheaper!) This piece began with a monoprint on damp paper. This was allowed to dry naturally so the color could do its thing.

The next step was to lay down some masking fluid. The erratic lines and lettering were created by decanting the masking fluid into a small bottle with a tip. However, the little metal tips that come with those bottles is much too small for the masking fluid to come out of so it is best to just use the bottle without the tip. The quality of the line can be controlled by the speed at which it is applied. After drying the masking fluid with a hair dryer, I applied two glazes...drying in between.

The next part requires more serious thought. I will need to decide how much glazing needs to be done...decide whether to add more words and lines with black ink and a pen...and then decide where to place the actual lettering of the quote. And there you have it...must a few more things to think about.

"Gratitude" (final)

($300.00......11" x 14".....Watercolor on Fabriano 300 lb. CP.....presented on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Seeing and noticing are the heartbeat of a thankful heart. Writing it down makes it visible." (paraphrase from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp) It's done at last....unless something else comes to mind during the day. You never know. Thanks for hanging in there through the process on this one.

Any artist trying to juggle lettering and fine art and integrating them into one piece has some difficult decisions. For a long time now, I have opted to have my artwork look like a fine art piece from across the room. And the viewer then has the option of coming closer and reading the text, but that would not be absolutely necessary. It could also work the other way around. The lettering could be read from a distance and the background art taking a supporting role. It has been an interesting process and one which leads to endless variations on the theme.

Another point to consider is the color of the text. If I had chosen black text and painted a black feather on the piece, it would have looked completely different. However, I like the ethereal quality of white so that was my first choice. I also chose Spencerian Script because it has a "quieting" effect on dynamic backgrounds. It also has a poetic feel and much of my work trends in that direction.

The piece will now be sprayed with varnish (3x) and then varnish will be brushed on (3x). This varnish (Golden Acrylic Spray Varnish with UV filters) will ensure that the piece can be mounted on a 2" depth cradled board and be impervious to touching or spills.

My next move is to use similar techniques with more vibrant color and see how it goes. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Gratitude" (draft 3)

(draft 3)

Almost there. The lettering with the quote and final will be posted tomorrow. Layering takes time and it is good to have time to "mull" things over before continuing to the next step.

You may notice that some of the colors are brighter today. That is because I glazed over them one more time after cropping the piece. However, you can still see the luminosity and the sparkle created by masking out some of the erratic lines and lettering before applying any washes. (One...not more than twice over with the glazing.)

The feather took a great deal of time in order to achieve the opacity and different shadings within the feather itself. The spine of the feather is also the same as painting any bone or antler image. It may look white, but it is not. Neutral Tint, Quinacridone Gold (Sennelier) and Bleedproof White Gouache were the colors used to create this feather. It also helped to have a liner brush which helps to lay in the numerous layers required to achieve opacity and depth. So I went back and forth between these colors to create subtlety.

Today, I will study the feather and see if there is anything else that needs to be done. This is the part of the process where the tough questions need to be asked. Is the image convincing? Or does it look contrived? It takes time and space to ascertain these things. I am not yet convinced of the feather, so it will probably receive some additional work after I have been away from it for a few hours. This would be a good time to begin another piece and allow the preliminary washes to dry.

What I am satisfied with is the layered glass look which was my inspiration in the first place. The whites and softly diffused lines from the very first layers are still giving that glass look that I am also working with for another piece.

Even in very representational work, the imagery that is in the distance is not as well defined as the imagery that is in the foreground. So the "take away" from today is to stop working at intervals and take a break when the final details are being decided. The very free "stuff" can be done very intuitively and quickly, but then there is a time to go slow in order to decide the final steps and not to go beyond the finish line.

Going too far is just as bad as not going far enough. And frankly, I've done my fair share of going too far. It's time to slow down. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Gratitude" (draft 2)

(draft 2)

This second draft has three more layers. Two of them are watercolor glazes and one is lettering with a pointed pen and FW Ink.

Before adding the glazes, I laid in some more erratic lines and a few words with masking fluid. You can now see how these additional layers push the first layers way back into the background to create depth.

Even though this is a contemporary watercolor piece, there are still identifiable shapes and a lot of expressive writing and erratic line work. The next step will be the introduction of a focal point by painting in the identifiable shape of a feather followed by the quote.

This type of work requires transparency and the inclusion of many different lines and edges plus the writing. These three elements give the illusion of glass and depth. And even if you're not a lettering artist, creative stamping into wet washes followed by a more identifiable stamping in the following layers will achieve a great deal of imagery.

If using a commercial stamp, try sloshing on some FW Ink and stamping that image several times. You will see only portions of the stamp which will give it a more ethereal and mysterious look. For fine art, it is best not to use a commercial stamp and stamp the entire image. It will look contrived. And if you use Speedball Printing Ink in the final stamping, you can blot portions of the image completely away with a damp paper towel.

There are really so many options with layering. Even though there are numerous techniques, it is best to use a limited palette of techniques and then leave the others for some other piece. It is incredibly easy to get into the "weeds".   And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Experimental Watercolor"

Today's posting is simply an experimental piece that may get finished....or not. This was created as a demo piece in a mark making class I taught yesterday. Lots of marks were made and the atmosphere was "electric"!

We worked on several types of papers because papers receive the medium differently from each other. The paper used for today's piece was Rives BFK. It is a print making paper and a bit softer than other papers used for watercolor.

Because of its ability to receive impressions, it is a natural choice for inscribing into the paper and paint while it is wet. And you can clearly see those marks in the background. They can often look like pencil marks, but the inscribed erratic lines that are a bit diffused were written with a bamboo pen into wet watercolor. That first color is a neutral tint.

After leaving this first layer completely alone until it was dry (no hair dryer)...I added some darker erratic lines and gestural marks with a pointed pen and FW Ink. This particular ink is a good choice for this application because it is acrylic and will not bleed when a watercolor wash is brushed over. These lines can be dried with a hair dryer and then shapes of color can be applied with a broad watercolor brush on dry paper.

It is good to leave some of the paper white and not to make more than two passes with the water color in the same area. (Over brushing is the death of this technique.) If you choose to use two colors...dry the first layer of color before applying the second color. It might be fun to see how these very same techniques work on Arches 140 lb. HP or Fabriano 140 lb. CP. These papers are thin enough to ripple when wet, so if working too large...you may want to consider taping your paper to a masonite board with watercolor tape.

This whole process reminds me of layered glass, so I am deeply interested. It's definitely worth a try. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Untitled" (draft 1)

(draft 1)

This piece has no title or quote yet, but it will. This is only my initial start to a very intuitive painting process. It all begins with "mark making" on wet paper.

This draft will be even more interesting to you if you are in my "mark making" class this Saturday. This will be one of the intuitive type recordings and small works we will be doing.

I chose a different paper than the normal selections for watercolor. This happens to be Rives BFK. It is an excellent choice for mark making because it is a printmaking paper and much softer than normal watercolor choices. And yet it receives the watercolor beautifully.

The intuitive process began by wetting both sides of the paper with a sponge (lightly...since it will "pill" if rubbed too hard). The excess water was removed and I began by using two different sized watercolor brushes and neutral tint watercolor to draw lines from edge to edge. My next mark making choice was a stylus used to write into the wet and colored areas. I also used a bamboo pen to write a word and make a few more lines. I then slowed down the process by waiting for the paper to dry just a bit and using more concentrated neutral tint to make additional lines and even writing another word or two with a pointed brush.

You will also notice that there was no intention of making straight lines. It looks a lot less contrived if the marks are more organic. Some of the lines veer off to the side....creating small window shapes. After all was said and done, I left it to dry naturally until the water and pigment stopped moving and then I dried both sides with a hair dryer.

The next step was to glaze on several shapes of green watercolor over the first layer. It is important to keep a light touch and not keep going over one area more than (1) or (2) times. More than likely, there will be diluted gesso or bleedproof white gouache added to add an ethereal look as well as more watercolor. There will also be some pencil lettering created as I go along.

It is a great way to work and all begins with "mark making". Inscribing into wet paint is just one way to create your marks. In the next layer, you will see marks created on a dry surface which will provide a contrast to the softly blurred lines from today. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Floating Flower"

(unavailable....4" x 6".....on 300 lb. Fabriano CP.....mounted on masonite)

"Floating flower is pure nostalgia." There is something quite mesmerizing about looking at a flower floating in water. This is my interpretation of my hibiscus floating in water from yesterday's posting.

This piece is altogether experimental. In fact, truth be known, most pieces are experimental. The most creative and dynamic images do occur when the piece ends up in a different place than planned. Too much planning can result in a contrived image unless the piece is totally realistic and the technique is flawless.

You might be surprised to know that this piece was originally turned upside down from what you see today and the blue shape was actually an old wall image I was studying and ended up using masking fluid and glazing techniques. There was also a ledge in the wall with a partial flower hanging down. When I finished the flower, it didn't look right to me so I turned it upside down and glazed some orange into the blue / brown shape. And as it turned out the light blue shape has the same curving lines as in the flower and provides a partial echo of the flower shape.

"Changing horses in the middle of the stream"....happens frequently. It can be fun to figure out how to make everything work, but there always seems to be an alternative solution. So the lesson learned today is to view the piece in a different direction before making the final decisions. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Flower Collection"

(sold)

"Flowers are the best collections." Whether they're in a vase, dried under glass, in a painting, or in a field...flowers remain one of the most popular images for all types of art and celebrations. This painting was inspired by a hibiscus plant by our front door.

This is an abstracted image and not meant to be totally representational. To arrive at the salmon colored flower, I really needed a bright red instead of Alizarin Crimson. A true red (like Napthol or Cad. Red) plus a bit of orange will achieve that salmon color, but alas, I was determined to paint this flower on this Monday morning!

The leaves are also very stylized, but that really makes it look even more contemporary. If I had it to do all over again, I would probably abstract it even more and simply create a design that projects the frilly and delicate nature of this particular flower. And this is the best part of abstraction. Any of the design elements in the realistic image can be altered and rearranged to create something totally abstract. In this case, I would keep the colors the same and the "frilly" edge in tact, but everything else would be up for grabs.

In fact, it would be nice to have a collection of images based on the same inspiration image and simply abstracted in different ways. Of course, my mind is absolutely on collections right now due to the fact that there is an upcoming exhibit called "Poetic Collections".  So there will likely be quite a few postings of quotes from or giving a nod to poetry.

The technique in this image was based on glazing techniques except for the first layer which was wet into wet. So maybe you can pick a flower from your collection in the yard and give this a shot. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Feathers of Angel Wings"

(SOLD.....8" x 8".....Watercolor on 300 lb. CP Fabriano.......Presented on a 2" Cradled Board)

"The feathers of angel wings cover me with protection." Everyone likes the idea of being protected from the storms of life. The association of a feather image to angel wings rustles my imagination in a very good way.

Well.....this is the end of the angel series. It's time to move on. The position of these last set of wings came to me just before I woke up this morning. They are almost touching and seem to be enclosing an area....very much like a shelter. (Psalm 91 provides more connections with this thought.)

Of course the piece was created much the same way as the others so there's not too much to add to those comments. I guess my big take away from this particular design in conjunction with watercolor techniques was the idea of color bands and the surrounding shapes. In this case, I am referring to the stripes in the feathers, but it could also be bands of strong color with negative space in between. It might be fun to create a small piece with a wide range of different sized stripes. Paint the bands of color  in a fairly saturated manner with blank paper in between. After drying the bands throughly, take a brush dipped only in water and wet each band and the area in between and allow the pigment from the saturated color to bleed into the empty band shape. It will soften the edges of the darker color and break up some of the surface of an extremely saturated color.

Most of the time, watercolors are layered to create a darker area and in most cases that would be the preferred technique, but this also offers up some possibilities. Contemporary watercolor is a wonderful segue into experimentation and simply playing around with different ratios of pigment to water. Close observation of what happens when you apply the watercolor in various stages of wetness is also instructive. For instance....applying different ratios of pigment and water to totally wet paper....waiting until the glisten of the water leaves the paper, and "bone dry" paper.

These are some of the techniques that will prove to be useful when creating a piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Light As A Feather"

(SOLD......8" x 8"....on 300 lb CP Fabriano....Presented on a 2" depth cradled board)

"The spirit is quiet and as light as a feather." To hear the spirit of God within us, it is quite necessary to be quiet. The Spirit does not speak where there is loudness and chaos, but in a still, quiet voice. It is another way of looking at the verse from Psalms....."Be still and know that I am God."

You probably noticed that I took three days off from blogging. There were other more pressing issues to deal with and I really do need to sleep....so there you have it!

This is the second in my trilogy with the feather. These are (8" x 8"'s) and will be displayed together in a fall exhibit called "Poetic Collections". What I am noticing is that the more I paint the same image, the more abstract it becomes. So if you want to learn more about how to abstract an image, this is a good way.

I have begun both pieces the same way with a very wet surface....getting rid of excess water with a sponge....and then dropping in some pale yellow with a mop brush. All the other colors were glazed on dry paper and losing most of the edges with a brush dipped in water and dragged over a sponge cloth to get rid of the excess....and then touching the edge of the color just glazed. The paper, of course, was thoroughly dry before adding a new glaze.

The dark stripe shapes in the feather were painted rather dark and solid and then allowed to dry. I then got a water brush and brushed over those stripes and into the neighboring shapes to deepen the value and soften the edges of the stripes. It can look contrived and rather stark to paint dark shapes with  hard edges around the perimeter. The problem can also be resolved by paying attention to the color and value immediately surrounding the dark shape.

Another tip is to test your values on a scrap piece of watercolor paper before applying it to your piece. It is very difficult to judge the darkness and lightness of watercolor when mixing it on the palette. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Feather My Soul"

(SOLD.......8" x 8".......on 300 lb. CP Fabriano Paper.....Presented on a 2" depth cradled board)

"Feather my soul with declarations of your love." I have developed visceral feelings about this feather so this is one of three in a series. The quote today came from my own heart and has a spiritual meaning, but it could also be referring to the love of your life.

Today's posting is an (8" x 8"). Squares still hold a special attraction for me because of possibilities of space division. It can have a horizontal or vertical feel depending on the image. This, of course, is an abstracted feather, but not so abstract that it is unidentifiable. The colors and shape are the elements that had me at first glance.

Any natural image from our created world has numerous possibilities for abstraction and playing with shape. By noting the elements of design (line, shape,size, direction, color, value, texture).....and what they are doing, you have the opportunity to abstract the image by altering any of these elements. And how much these elements are altered is totally up to the artist.

Even though I love color with all my heart, neutrals still beckon me frequently to come back and visit them again. These are the kinds of continual "returnings" that give you the most obvious clues in what comprises your art voice. And I seem to have a new found love for watercolor since its characteristics contain some of my longings for transparency contrasted with opacity and especially the luminosity.

So on it goes, the daily listening for the spirit within that originates the longing for particular techniques, moods, and all the other elements that comprise visual communication. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Feather My Nest"

(unavailable....6" x 4"......on 300 lb. CP)

"Feather my nest and my art with neutrals." Even when brighter colors are used, the neutrals are what make them the star attraction. A world without neutrals would be too intense for a peaceful environment.

The inspiration for today's abstract watercolor was a feather. It involves using the same glazing techniques as mentioned in previous postings.

Two very important pigments to have in your watercolor box are Neutral Tint and Sepia. These two particular colors were the primary voice in this small piece. They are Daniel Smith brand. When the Sepia was mixed with a bit of Hansa Yellow and a touch of Alizarin Crimson, a golden yellow emerged.

This piece began by sponging both sides of the paper (300 lb. CP...Fabriano) with water and squeezing out the sponge to remove excess water. The golden yellow pigment was charged into the area where the feather was painted. Of course, I did something else while this dried and after a bit...finished drying with a hair dryer.

The glazing began with a light sepia over the entire feather. After that glaze was dried the other shapes were painted in, going from light to dark. I then added a bit of interest in the opposing corners. It came out a bit too dark so after drying it completely, I took a stiff bristled brush dipped in water and scrubbed most of the pigment off...blotting with a kleenex.

While the paper was damp, I charged in the dots with a concentrated amount of sepia and neutral tint. Finally, I glazed over the negative space with a very dilute portion of the yellow mixture. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Layer on Layer"

(unavailable.....4" x 6".....on 300 lb. CP)

"Growth is layer on layer." In an instantaneous world...no one likes to realize that growth in any area happens layer by layer. There are so many nuances to everything that it is impossible to learn all of them at once. But oh the joy, when things do come together in a pleasing way.

This small piece represents me practicing my techniques again. And literally, the glazing technique in watercolor is layer on layer. Just to recap...the layers must be dried after each one. That's the most important thing to remember.

I did begin by sponging both sides of this 300 lb. CP (Arches) with water. That thoroughly wets the paper and removes the sizing. I then painted three horizontal lines across the wet paper with neutral tint and a tiny bit of Cobalt Violet (Turner Brand). This may not seem to be an important layer, but creates foundational values that can be seen through the transparent layers. It is best at this point to go talk a walk, throw some laundry in the washer, or make the beds, etc. and let the water and pigment do what they're going to do. If you use your hair dryer too quickly, the effect will be ruined.  Come back to the piece after about 15 or 20 min. and then finish drying with a hair dryer.

My only reference here was a plant in my studio. And I simply took the shapes of the leaves as my jumping off point and changed the colors to lighter values. After painting each leaf on dry paper and losing the edge with plain water on one side, but not with every leaf, I dried it with a hair dryer. It doesn't take long for the pigment to do what it's going to do when glazing on dry paper.

You can see that I kept the colors light and overlapped them to create an abstract contemporary look. I also used a mechanical pencil (without the lead exposed) to make lines and write in a few of the leaves while they were wet. There happen to be (11) leaf layers in this piece.

Finally, I wrote the quote in pencil running up the side vertically. This is an important technique to get under your belt if you like contemporary watercolor.   And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Common Denominators" (draft 1)

(draft 1)

The quote has not happened yet, but the title gives me lots of options. Language and key words often provide the imagination with all kinds of images. None of us may realize just how much our eye is on the hunt for common denominators. In a way, it helps us stay sane...like counting telephone poles or automatically seeing the complementary color when looking at a particular color for a length of time.

It is quite fascinating to realize how much common denominators play a part in our lives and in our art. They are found primarily in repetitive design elements. In this piece, the repetitive element is found in the tiles. They will definitely be the focal point, but by tomorrow, this piece will be totally transformed. It will end up being a 4" x 6" which is quite small, but this is a test run for larger works.

This is an experimental piece using watercolor and gesso or bleedproof white gouache to incorporate a portion of the watercolor as the main attraction while the rest of the piece will be various intensities of the white with erratic darker lines in the background which is my very next step. I will also be knocking down the intensity of the tile work with glazing and perhaps a few aging techniques.

This first draft began with drawing in some basic outlines of the shapes of the tile with a pencil. Last night I applied masking fluid (with a dental pick....the wooden kind) to all of the white shapes you see in the tiles.

This morning, I wet the paper front and back and removed the excess water with a sponge. The yellow was then charged in with a mop brush. After that dried, I added more masking fluid over the shapes in the tiles that are yellow. Next came the Delft Blue wash over a completely wet surface. (If I had it to do over again, I would have glazed over the selected areas on dry paper.) That's why this is an experimental piece. I forgot how much the yellow would lift and mix with the blue if it was saturated with water. And that's why practice is so important. Every piece yields a bit more information about technique.

After the second layer was completely dry, I removed the masking fluid with a hard eraser designed for its removal. So today, I will experiment with the gouache and how to incorporate all of this into something cohesive and interesting. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.