Wow!  Where does the time go?  Thankfully special moments during month were documented on paper with colors and lines, head and heart.  How do you like my new tag line… Color and Line ~ Moments in Time?  It will have a home on my updated business cards.  2021 will bring lots of new ventures for my art studio.  Can’t wait to share!  

On November 7th at Four Corners Gallery in Bluffton, I showcased a collection of my journals, gave a lecture about the joys of keeping a journal and did a demonstration of my watercolor painting techniques.

My demo was of the palmettos outside the gallery’s front window. The lighting is what initially grabbed my attention.  ‘What lighting?’ you ask as you view this image.  Well, a blah image is what happens when I realized it sure would be nice to post a view of what I was painting. It looks like an uninspiring subject matter. Oh, but the lighting that initially inspired my creative soul…

When painting plein air, it’s really helpful to do a quick value sketch when you find something that captures your eye.  Second best – take a quick photo. This way you are not chasing the light as you paint.  Once your shapes are on the paper, you can reference the value study for the lighting that captured you in the first place.  Personally, I like to create a value study over just snapping a pic, as you get to know your subject even more.  More eye, more hand and more heart makes the connection to your work at hand.  Not to mention the meditative bonus of the focus you are giving to your subject.  One of the many reasons I so love creating in my journal – 15 minutes of focus can feel like a mini vacation from the world. 

     True confessions here… I didn’t do a value sketch.  When I arrived at the gallery in the morning, the trees were glorious.  But I needed to get setup.  Then came the talk.  By the time I moved to the window to paint the palmettos, all the dramatic lighting was gone.

What to do?  Play with a new brush and see what it will do.  Don’t worry about the initial inspiration.  Take the brush out for a spin and see what marks it can make… More precisely, what marks can my arm and hand create with this brush. 

The brush?  A Princeton Neptune #8 Quill.  A big momma that holds lots of pigment and water, but maintains a wonderful fine point!

This is the only brush I used and I’m in love.  There is a learning curve that I’m looking forward to pursuing.  This baby holds a lot of water.  I need to learn the water to pigment balance.  Each brush has one.  Just part of the wonderful watercolor journey.

Below is the portion of the direct watercolor sketch I finished when at the gallery.  I may play with the rest of the piece or may not.  I will certainly continue to work with this brush.  The magic of water with watercolor.  This tool really lets you take advantage of the medium!