Watercolor Gift

Sounds rather drastic doesn’t it? [the not smoking part in the subject line] LOL … well … I have been working at becoming a non-smoker the entire month of March … I have not had even one cigarette so far in March … after smoking for 40 plus years … … and a co-worker died last week … of lung cancer … after being in the hospital in a coma for two weeks. The last couple weeks have been the longest of my life I think … they have went very slowly and painfully … it is hard to quit smoking … but I have it to do .. so I am working at trying to do it.

The inspiration in the subject line: Andrew Pawley - his lovely watercolor / ink paintings are lovely and very inspiring … I am starting to feel almost like an artist again and I wanted to see some art that was bright, cheerful and unique. Andrew’s work is all that - it is quite inspiring … the colors are great, the harmonies are remarkable and they make me grin … I’ve been doodling here & there the last couple weeks on the computer but no serious artwork … I haven’t even really blogged much … mostly, I have just concentrated on trying to become a non-smoker. That takes a lot of energy and I am trying not to stress over not doing much artwork or blogging too … I decided that it is time I did this for me … so that is number one priority at the moment. I am slowly getting my life back though … and looking at Andrew’s great bird collection in his Gallery was a lot of fun!

[the not painting part from the subject line] If I am not painting, I want to see other people’s art … I am just too tired yet to do real art of my own yet … maybe I will be able to concentrate on painting again soon … I hope so .. .I am beginning to miss it … which is a good thing … that will probably push me into actually painting again, instead of just thinking about it every once in awhile between deep breathing exercises. LOL But I managed to clean off my drawing table today so I can find it again when I am ready to paint again!

Imagekind Gallery Oiseaux
Copyright (C) 2008
Imaginary birds painted in water colour and coloured inks

Tucan

Imaginary birds painted in water-colour and inks

Les Oiseaux



Tucan Two

Imaginary birds painted in water-colour and inks

Three Seagulls

Imaginary birds painted in water-colour and inks

Almost, if not every, artist who teaches or writes books appear to strongly stress how important it is to put all your colors in the same place each time you paint. If you are an organized artist who has no trouble remembering where each goes each time you paint and or use the exact same color palette each time you paint or you plan each color choice in advance of ever picking up a paintbrush - go for it … …. BUT …

For those of us who choose a color on the moment’s impulse and may need two fingers globs of red and yellow each while only needing a bare touch of orange and blue or green perhaps … do not stress over where you are putting your colors. Having colors in the same place each time does make for being able to just grab some paint on auto-pilot to use …. I think.

I tried putting the paint heaps in the same places in the same amounts each the first couple times I painted - the second, third and fourth times I tried, each took much more time for trying to remember where each color was supposed to be - I even tried post-it notes because it was supposed to be so important and of course I put out all the colors I thought I might use just like so many teaching artists advise.

… and I ended up with a palette full of paint I didn’t use …. for weeks … eventually they were all finally used and eliminated from my palette … auto pilot of painting color choosing makes me much less willing to experiment and makes the painting event more about using up the paint off the palette than expressing what I have to say. I have found that it really helps me if I actually look and choose at my colors [and the tube amount of color to squeeze out] as I paint and take the time to decide if I want a touch of this n that or if I need a bit to mix with another color, etc.

Color placement on a palette is not an important big deal in painting - if it comes naturally to you and makes your painting life better to put the colors in the exact same place each time on your palette - awesome - use it.

If it does NOT come naturally and you struggle with trying to get them in the same place and spend more time trying to get the colors located “correctly” on your palette than you do in painting … remember that it is what you have to say that is most important in painting … you’ll get the colors you need on the paper … no one sees your palette except you … ;P … unless you teach or write books and tell people what palette color arrangement works best for you.

Haphazard where-ever every time I paint works quite well for me I may puddle blue in a well one time and red another time and maybe next it might be yellow or green … I usually work only a few colors at a time, not a full spectrum of 20 plus colors so perhaps it is helpful to those who do … but I would have to create a giant map poster listing where each color would be on the palette and hang it on the wall to be able to put the paint in the same places … nope … wouldn’t work for me … your mileage may vary so go with what is comfortable for you.

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