Comparisons

Overworking a watercolor is the bane of artists.  Sometimes we add our own limitations, such as a 3-color palette, or allowing only 20 minutes to paint a scene.  So the other day, I did a small telescopic sketch of the house I always see when I look out my studio window.  It's hard to miss, because it's in such disrepair!  As always, I am trying to keep my work fresh, and light-infused.  So here it is.
At the time, I felt like I got parts of this watercolor "right", but another problem we have as artists, is that upon finishing a watercolor, it's almost as if we are too close to it to be able to properly judge it, and that allowing some time to lapse brings a better perspective.  So as I finished this, I immediately turned to another sketchbook, filled with a smooth multi-media paper.  I dashed off another quick sketch, and made myself call it "finished" so as not to create mud on this unforgiving paper.

 

What Captures Us...

Sometimes we go about our day, passing all-too familiar locations,  and then one day, the light shines differently, or we are different, or perhaps the birds are singing!  Something stops us! and we take a second look, or, we take a closer look.  Thus it was with this first sketch.  I live across the street from this view of my neighbor's stairway up to his home, and I have seen it every day for 5 years, often more than once a day.  But the scene captured me, and I compelled to try to show others why.

In trying to sketch more often (every day WOULD be nice, but the resolve only holds so long) I went over to the U-District to sketch after I ran an errand.  I wanted to record Weaving Works, because this establishment, recently announced they would move before 2014.  As I chose my spot to sketch, there was the painted mural wall of another business, Brooklyn Frame.  It's a bit disorienting, so I think this sketch is okay to record for history, but it would need re-working, or a better viewpoint) to stand as a "painting."  So what's the difference?  Juanita keeps asking me that.  We'll chat about it next time.

Watercolor Play and Inner Critics

Seems I've been spending more time with fellow-artists, since Urban Sketchers has become such an integral of my life.  I am going out with the main Seattle group once a month, and with a smaller off-shoot group 2 other times a month, plus there's occasionally an "ad hoc" crawl that's called.  This is a good thing!  Most artists I read about, or chat with, all acknowledge they need to DRAW MORE!  In fact, I would like to be drawing every day.

After we sketch, we usually share our work.  We all admire each other's work, yet when we have individual conversations I pick up a common theme.  Seems we each have an "inner critic" who is alive and well inside us.  Believe me, that kind of critical talk goes on all the time!  Along with it are the thoughts about "trying to be looser," or "struggling to render a car that look like a car!" or trying to change the way we work.  I guess it's just a fact of artistic life.

So in keeping with that idea, I am sharing this recent watercolor, in which I was consciously trying to paint looser, i.e not so tight.  Sometimes I tell myself, it's just "play," or practice, or drawing daily.  Thanks for checking in!