Let's Try This One Again

I decided to revisit the agave image with a slightly different approach. I tightened up the composition a bit, and scaled back the palette. This is still not what I am looking for, but it is moving in the right direction. Ideally, what I am after is a series of color "blobs" that are intricate and unresolved at close viewing, yet come together at a distance for a recognizable subject.

In the case of Watercolor and Me, this comes down to using bigger brushes, with less focus on detail, color accuracy. More about the stroke and the paint. That said, there are areas of this version that are satisfying, with the veiled layers of color interacting up close, and the contrast balance is good. The "whites" are actually not white paper, but veiled with a light, warm wash to reflect the tone of the afternoon.

OK, enough of this one, on to the next.

Production Notes: This is painted on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico Rough, the first time I have used this paper. I have been a die-hard fan of Arches drawing papers, but for watercolor, the Fabriano is slightly heavier, less prone to ripple after a heavy coat of paint, which I favor, and it dries faster, allowing less "downtime". I'll never abandon Arches BFK for drawing, but for watercolor...

Restart.

After 35 years I have decided to revisit painting. In particular, watercolor. The reasons are many-fold, but fundamentally it has to do with trying to get out of a rut, stop repeating many of my old work, and restart my direction.

Watercolor is challenging, and I have much to re-learn from years ago, but I am exhilarated to be on a new path, and however bumpy it may be, am looking forward to the ride.

I recently moved and where I now live boasts an abundance of succulents, agave in particular. It seemed fitting to choose one of these as my subject. Also, while I haven't abandoned figure work, or for that matter, some of the abstractions that I had been working on the past summer, I needed to have some constants in place when exploring a new medium. A neutral subject, grabbed from a snapshot, and free for exploration.

I will revisit this scene in the next version, with a simplified composition, more extended palette, and hopefully more satisfying results.