Painting with watercolours requires a lot of discipline. Discipline to know when to step away from the painting and let the paint do its thing is one discipline that is difficult to learn. We want control.
I am rounding the last corner of this painting. Painting the shadows that come around to the front and go up the mushroom stem is requiring discipline. Some of the edges are "hard" edges, like those around the twisted roots. But, the bottom of the right mushroom requires the paint to make its way over the stem, but not come to an end. It needs to gradually and evenly fade away. I wetted a lot of the stem, far more than where I painted. Now the paint is making its way on its own into that wetness.
Walk away, Hilda.
Wednesday evening's artists are learning discipline too. The artist below is totally new to watercolours. She is approaching the painting in an emotional way, trying to paint different effects, like the frothing of the water on the bottom right. This artist has no fear. She boldly tries new techniques and sees where they take her.
I am finally allowed to share this artist's most recent work now that it has been given to the subject. This artist is learning to trust. She was challenged to sketch the background bench and wall before finishing the two people. They provided a framework of reference for her to find where she was going wrong on their faces. It worked!
This mom and son's joy is just beaming from the drawing.
Believe it or not, the strawberry below is a "test" painting. Another artist new to watercolours. She knew that the leaves were looking less than natural and made notes of which colours to mix with the Hookers Green to help them look like themselves.
I can see someone wanting to frame this painting even if it is considered a test one.
And, then there are those days when the artist sitting next to you has the blue of your dreams in her pallet. She offers you some and your painting comes even more alive.
Time to go back and see how it turned out.
“I believe that the most important single thing,
beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare.”
Maya Angelou