Taking a Watercolor Florals Class

I'm delighting in an online class from Willa Solganik of Willa Wanders entitled "Willa's Watercolor Leaves and Florals Mini Course."

It's exciting to embark on a new adventure with my paints.

I've been following her step-by-step instructions, and then adding my own unique marks, like the green swirls on the plant below right.

Trying something new, learning from another artist, and giving myself no-pressure space to practice rejuvinate my creativity.  I feel a new sparkle when I paint.

I woke up this morning looking forward to playing with my paints!

I plan to use these new techniques to decorate journals and stationery, and just to have fun.

Happy Creating!

Morning Painting in the Garden

Earlier this year, I typed up a list of watercolor projects I wanted to take on, then propped the list up where I could see it.  

 When I have time & want a new project, my list encourages me to try one of the items and stretch in a new direction.

I took my paints out to my garden on a recent gorgeous morning to try number 3 on the list.

I started with a pen and ink sketch, then added watercolor.

I found that the light and shadow of early morning in the garden created beautiful contrasts to paint.  I enjoyed using permanent violet mixed with ultramarine blue to make dark purple shadows with spots of bright green leaves to mimic the way that some of the leaves caught the light, and others disappeared in darker areas. 

In the second painting, I skipped the drawing and sketched directly with watercolors, beginning with a loose, wet-in-wet sketch of the bright blooms, then adding in the foliage and shadows.

I have a good friend, Ryan McCormick, who teaches drawing & painting the Pittsburgh Center for Arts  and Media.  We were talking about being self-critical versus self-critiquing with our paintings.  

Ryan likes to challenge his students to name precisely what they don't like when they hold up their work and say, "I don't like it!"

Ryan replies, "What precisely don't you like?"

Once you ask this question, you can figure out how to fix that problem and steer your art in a new direction.  You have grown as an artist.

Also, you can ask this question:

What precisely do you like about your art?

I took this approach with this second art work, at first feeling frustrated by some white spots and hard wash lines in my painting.

Rather than giving up and saying "I don't like my painting;" I stood back, noticed exactly what I didn't like, and then addressed those problems.  

I also focused on what I did like -- in the flower scene that initially inspired me, and in my own painting.

I discovered that I was drawn in by the way the flowers caught the morning sun, and contrasted vividly against distant tree shadows.  So I tried to mirror that in my painting.

I also realized that I liked the loose flower shapes and the way the painting was really a negative space painting.  I was focused on defining the flowers and their leaves by painting the spaces around them.

It was fun to simplify the scene and not to get as detailed in the positive space as I had in the earlier painting, where I painstakingly left little white sunlight reflections in the blackberries

Now it's your turn to make some art, step back, and ask yourself those questions:  

What do you like?  

What don't you like?  

Be discerning and precise, because the answers will help you to grow and make discoveries as an artist.

Happy Creating!

Watercolor Sketching in the Garden

This morning, the sunlight spilled lavishly over colorful zinnias and purple coneflowers in the garden.  I couldn't resist taking my paints out to sketch the beauty before me (along with two of my cats).  

I gave myself the rule that I could do anything, try any technique, and reminded myself, It's just a sketchbook.

Those are freeing "rules" for me.

I warmed up by painting zinnias.

I discovered that I liked the sketches best that were laid in quickly and without too much fuss.  They weren't exact or perfect, yet they seemed more alive.

 I can see improvement between painting the zinnias and the coneflowers, which have more complexity and interest.

But, I'm happy with both pages of colorful sketches.

A friend shared the wisdom of Maya Angelou with me this week:

"You can't use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have."

I find truth in that -- the more we play with our art supplies, whether they be paints, pencils or collage bits, the more ideas we generate, and the more skills we build.

I invite you to make sketches or paintings from these photos.

Or better yet, step outside with your art supplies and find something that catches your eye. Sketch.  Repeat.

Happy Creating!

Flower Power!

I bought carnations for my drawing students at the Community College of Beaver County to practice on last week, and had some leftovers after class.  

The flowers have brightened up my studio, and inspired me to play with India ink in a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. I focus on making marks that feel freeing & expressive.

 After the ink dries, I add watercolor washes.

Because India ink is waterproof, you can add watercolor washes over the top as soon as the ink has dried, creating bold contrasts.  

I hope you can have a play with colorful art supplies and a bouquet of flowers.  

The flowers will lift your spirits twice - as you enjoy the blossoms decorating your home, and as you create artworks based on them.  Remember, you're not a camera.  You don't have to create a super-realistic artwork.  Just play with lines & colors inspired by the flowers!