Thinking of Thanksgiving today, and painting the fruits of harvest. I handled this painting just a little bit different than I have the others. After sketching in india ink, painting all bounty and basket with watercolor, I went back in for a second layer of color. This additional step really adds to the depth. Waxing those areas to resist the next layer of paint, I then watercolored the background and foreground - dropping in paint to spread and mingle in the very wet layer. Since I am painting on masa paper, I lay a sheet of wax paper under my painting. The wet paint seeps through the masa, and is absorbed again by the masa as it dries. Next, I wax the remaining unwaxed parts, let dry, then wad up "carefully" into a ball. The house is a little warmer today, so I should have popped it into the freezer first. The wax cracked pretty well, just not as well as yesterday. I then floated that violet raw umber - Daniel Smith's - into the creases. Allowing to dry slightly, I then ironed it off between layers of newspaper. Wanting a little more definition in those creases, I dry brushed on some additional paint only to the tops of those creases, with the side of my brush. I like the result! Every painting is another lesson learned - and this one is the 683rd painting in a row :)
