John A......taking the scenic route

John A.    watercolor/gouache    20 x 12

Not all works are completed in due time.  This one, along with another, was tucked away in a corner during the winter holidays.  The first, of a Victorian home in Columbus, was quite a disaster.  After spending another session on it, the work was relegated to the burn pile.  John offered more possibilities.

John posed for our watercolor class a few sessions ago.  It was attacked quickly, yet lightly.  Upon review, I discovered that the front arm took too much attention away from the face, so I began moving pieces and parts, blocks of color around.  As you can see, I am no slave to reality, and quite enjoy shifting focus and values to further my goal.  Background areas were painted, then washed off in my laundry tub to soften and blend.  (Note:  washed off, letting only water hit the surface....not scrubbed off) Eventually, I brushed and squeezed on a blue gouache mix left over from another project.  My heart went pitter pat.  I realized that I had come as close as possible to the version that pleased me.  Granted, I never start out to take the long way around to anything(the scenic route), but meandering can be beautiful as well as teaching us a few things along the way.

I am pleased.

Pink Tulips

Pink Tulips   watercolor on Khadi   13 x 13

underwent quite a journey in its making.  My original idea was to keep all values lighter with the wish that the overall atmosphere would be one of light.  However, I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DO A DRAWING....BIG MISTAKE.  The tulips were complete and played with strokes of blue violet and an off-white-warm.  The painting was matted and framed.  As I passed by the work over the weekend, I felt the repeated strong urge to make the work mine, to utilize the strong value interludes that make a work more powerful and more visible from a distance.  In addition, I felt that the work was just too greeting-card-like...with a lightness and airiness that made it seem too fluff.  So, the background was washed down and the idea of a raisin and mahogany-colored background seemed to lead the way.  I began a series of thin washes over the next couple of days, each layer leading the way to the color that was in my head...more warm, more brown, more pink, etc. Finally, the implication of a vase shape was pulled down with my sponge. 

The end result is a far cry from my original idea....a bit more formal than my usual, but more becoming, I think, to the lush pink tulips.  I had been wanting to try this layering of washes for years.  This painting provided the opportunity to give it a try.  This is a technique used by watercolor artist Catherine Anderson whose work I explored many years ago. Nothing ventured.  Nothing gained.