Tuesday, April 10, 2012

April Activity

I drove out to do a demo for the Prescott Valley Art Guild this morning under a watercolor sky with great clouds. The skies in the Southwest are meant to be painted in watercolor and the best way for me to try and paint them is to let the watercolors do the painting.  That's one of the wonderful and frustrating aspects of working with watercolor, is that they want to paint themselves.  It really is like riding the wild surf sometimes; the paints want to go where they want to go.  There are effects that are only possible in watercolor and not in any other type of paint and that's why so many people find it so challenging.  You strive to control them but that may not always happen.  Sometimes when I paint in watercolor, I actually get out of breath --- really!  Demos don't always produce good paintings because you are talking and standing to the side of your work so that the audience can see what you are doing. Sometimes you get one that wants you to finish it, and today I think I came home with one of those paintings. I will keep you posted and add a photo of the finished painting. 

I really enjoyed doing the demo today to such an appreciative audience. I am very lucky!  

Linne