Tuesday, May 22, 2012


When I first started to paint with watercolor, I knew that the only way to learn was to practice.  I used a lot of paper, a lot of paint and more importantly I spent a lot of time to figure out what I was doing.  I was a beginning student in Hawaii, and spent as much time in the water as I did in the studio.  I was surfing a lot, but also snorkeling, and I loved the little fish. They were perfect subject matter to practice with.  They are all different  shapes, sizes, and textures and they are really colorful.  Perfect.  So I spent a lot of time playing with watercolor with the fish as subjects.  I started to get the idea with this exact type of painting.  I let the background be real loose washes, and loved watching the paint arrange itself on the paper.  Then I got more careful with the details of the fish.  I painted them over and over with different colors for the water, and different fish.  Some worked out really well, while others didn't.  But, I learned a lot.  So, when I started teaching watercolor classes, I used this as one of the first lessons.  This painting was from one of the demonstrations in class.  Even in class, some of the paintings don't work out real well, but I think this one did.  I love it.


"Moorish Idols"
Watercolor 8 x 12"
matted size 16 x 20"
$150






2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed this post very much. It gives we that don't paint an insight into your eyes. Thanks
    Dolly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you found my work and like it. Thanks for being so supportive. Cheers.

      Delete