Friday, June 25, 2010

Watercolour play

This past winter I did some playing around with water colours while in Mazatlan and I really got to like the medium.  Aside from one little three-hour workshop at a hotel there I'd never really painted with water colour before.  So this week I've been attending a water colour basics workshop with a very experienced Victoria painting teacher, Jim Wispinski.  He's been great at introducing us older beginners to things in a way that allows us to experiement without feeling pressured.  My sister, who is a complete painting beginner, came with me and she's also beginning to feel relaxed about playing with paint. 

It's been so much fun learning about the variety of techniques that can be used with water colour paint.  It's quite a versatile medium.  The thing I like best about it is that the painting can be reworked at any time and it doesn't require a big studio or easel.  I can paint on a little table and leave it and come back to it as many times as I want.  Now I'm going to set up my own space and start playing.  I'll even schedule it into my calendar--as "playtime."

These are just some things you can play around with using water colour paint.  And here I am posing with my table mate Lisa, perhaps the youngest person in the class.  Behind us is Jim in his Hawaiian shirt.  It was such fun spending all day at art class for the entire week.  Now I have to play catch-up with some things but it was totally worth it.




4 comments:

  1. Such a great idea !
    Post some of your watercolors.

    I usually take ceramic classes so I can use the kilns since I left mine in California

    The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has Art classes and I am so tempted... ( of course if I could live any farther away I would be in New Mexico )
    I am thinking maybe next year, and I must renew my membership now!

    cheers, parsnip

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  2. Good for you! Watercolor is easiest to take with you when you're traveling, because it dries up fast, while with oil it takes a month or more to dry! But...it's one of the more difficult mediums, because one sees every mistake, LOL

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  3. I'm glad you're painting again. Watercolor is one of my favorite techniques. There's something about the washes of color that makes me happy. Looking forward to seeing some of your work.

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  4. hey joanna, i used to paint in watercolour - rigorously drawn abstracts. i used drybrush so it took seven or eight passes to bring a colour to where i wanted it. it's totally absorbing, totaly immersive and a totally beautiful space to be in. i love that you;re following up on your work in mazatlan. post something here when you're ready!!! have a lovely day. steven

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