Monday, February 8, 2016

Scratching an Itch

You know how good it feels to scratch a mosquito bite? Until it doesn't feel good and you see you're bleeding?

Yesterday? I painted until it didn't feel good.

Even so, I remain curious about the abstract landscape lesson I've now completed twice, both times with a fair amount of feeling off-the-mark while painting. I still want to scratch that itch.

Mindfully.

So I set out to explore again today.

I rerun the workshop videos, noticing this and that, saying, huh!, more than once.

I cut an 8x8" piece of watercolor paper for my substrate.

I apply collage of varied shapes, varied neutrals, and varied print matter.

I paint over the collage with a thin layer of titanium white diluted with glazing medium. I add another thin layer, of white and parchment.

From there, on to a thin layer of a warmer tone—a drop of yellow ochre mixed with white and glazing medium. Go back in to deepen the ochre in a few areas.

Next, I mix up a thin, neutral green and let it wash over several areas.

And then, I put my collage, my brush, my paper palette, my wiping cloth, my glazing medium, and my attention to rest. I stop at enough instead of finding myself mindlessly … bleeding!

Work in progress:












2 comments:

Sheila said...

Knowing that you are not finished... there is a certain serenity here.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Thanks, Sheila. Isn't it fascinating that a bunch of torn-up bits of print matter, some glue, and some paint on a piece of watercolor can emanate serenity? There was serenity in the creating.

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