Sunset Yoga

 

I love exploring how ink, watercolor, and hot wax play on delicate rice paper.  First, I draw the lines with India ink, then follow with the first layer of watercolor.  Hot wax is added where a resist is desired, and I build the layers from there. Once the crumbling of the wax and last wash of watercolor goes on, I iron off the wax between sheets of paper, this revealing the painting.  I love the very unpredictable nature of this medium. Come see this watercolor batik on rice paper painting at the Harmonie Verein, and take a restorative class at the Yoga Bliss Festival!  Painting number 4596 in 4596 days. 

Allium Batik

Sometimes, it is super fun to switch up mediums completely.  After so many days of ink and watercolor, I find myself playing with ink, hot wax, and watercolor on rice paper!  Always fun and unpredictable, each watercolor batik is unique. Paint, hot wax and ink flow and resist almost at random, and the translucent paint is full of energy. Perhaps, I'll explore more of my garden blooms with this reckless abandon!  Painting number 5087 in 5087 days. 

Pumpkin and Gourds Batik

Watercolor Batik is such a rich and complex medium to work with.  Many layers, beginning with an initial ink drawing and watercolor in the field, grows into a painting that takes on a life of it's own.  With tender care and selection on the layers, something special emerges.  I'm looking forward to a deep dive here this winter.  Painting number 4389 in 4389 days. 

Pumpkin Nocturne Batik

I love exploring watercolor batik.  Every painting is a new experience.  The rice paper is so fragile, and varies greatly between sources, so I push forward carefully.  Using translucent watercolors, the layers add depth, each one rounding the planes of the pumpkin. Hot wax serves to prrserve the masses, allowing deeper color to surround them - which needs to dry without extra brushwork - or the rice will simply dissolve away.  The wrinkling, cracking, adding more color, and ironing the wax away, brings to life something special and unique, that could never be duplicated exactly.  So rewarding, I can't wait to start the process again. Painting number 4385 in 4385 days. 

Kansas City on Main Street

I'm finishing up a couple of large watercolor batik paintings, and the days are growing warmer.  It is SO hard to stick to it when the hills and streams are calling....!  Tonite I complete my work - tomorrow I'll be outdoors for sure!  Painting number 2265 in 2265 days.

Milk Barn Sunset

purchase here

Delicate rice paper is a tricky paper to work with.  For the batik effect, it is important to paint on the rough side.  I begin with an India ink drawing, filling in with watercolor.  The paper is extremely thin, and the paint spreads quickly, so one must stay on the tip of the loaded brush.  Use only the thickest, softest, finest watercolor round brush, because softness matters!  If the brush is anything less, it will abraid the surface, quickly wearing right through the paper!  I have seen this happen!!  When the paper is very wet, do not shift or move it AT ALL - or it will split into tears!  Once one navigates all these obstacles, the coolest, unpredictable effects can be attained.  All it takes is a light touch and a careful hand!  Painting number 2264 in 2264 days.

Starry Night on the Plaza batik

I really like the way this batik method works with cityscapes! As always,  the results are unpredictable and paint moves freely on the rice paper,  but oh the rewards are many!  The striking thing about batik is how dramatic it can be!  In a few steps,  a simple scene can become magical.  The stars are knocked off the tip of a bristle brush dipped in hot wax at the very beginning!  I can't wait to teach these upcoming workshops!   Painting number 1538 in 1538 days :)

Starry Skies in Batik

Surprise!   How about a wild and crazy watercolor batik fit tonight's painting?   Inspired by some of the amazing photos of deep space, this painting was a blast to paint!  The stars are flicked on first in hot wax and a small bristle brush.  In layers, I paint from lightest to darkest, allowing the paints to mingle.  This is nothing like my regular batik work - thus making it super fun!  I'll be doing more of these as I prepare for a couple of upcoming workshops.  Painting number 1516 in 1516 days :)

Tallship Nocturne Batik

Hot wax, ink and watercolor on masa rice paper are my playthings du jour!!  Pushing into the contemporary and abstract, I choose a tallship in the night under the moon and stars!  First, I sketch out the scene with India ink.  Next, I paint my lightest values, letting the dry.  I then come in with a bristle brush and hot wax (I heat in a tiny crock pot), and paint these areas that I want to resist the next layers of color.  Then, I flood in my darks on the fragile masa rice paper, which I set on top of wax paper for full paint absorbency.  I am using my Daniel Smith translucent watercolors for this technique.  Once this dries, I wax the entire painting, allowing it to cool.  Now, this is the scary part.  I wad the painting up into a ball, crunching wax off randomly!  I then come back over this painting with a dark color, working the paint into all this creases I just created.  After this dries, I place the painting between layers of newspaper, and iron until all wax is removed.  I must keep switching out the paper to accomplish this.  The fun part is that this technique creates different results every time, so no two pieces will ever be the same!  This contemporary painting is the 1487th in 1487 days :)

Bluebird in Flight

My youngest daughter has been wanting me to paint some bluebirds for a few weeks.  I did a couple of studies in my sketch book, but was looking for something looser and more vibrant.   So, I turned to my India ink pens for the drawing, super thin rice paper for the substrate, and watercolor for the medium.  I have some pigmented inks that I have yet to try, but I didn't get to them today.  I think I used my medium point Pitt pen for the first time this afternoon!   I normally reach for the superfine or fine, and occasionally the brush tip.  Perhaps I can push it even looser in the future, I am longing to splash some of that ink around!   Crazy, right?   Painting number 1359 in 1359 days :)

Night Forest

Night Forest
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5

On this batik night landscape, when I got to the "wadding the waxed paper up in a ball step", I rolled that paper vertically instead of just any old way.  The result is batik creases that run up and down like the trees of the forest.  I first painted the light in the sky, adding some of that same color throughout before waxing.  I haven't done batiks for so long - it is fun to get back to them and explore them in different ways.  I will be SO busy in Door County - with little internet access - that I am trying to get ahead of the game.  Painting number  939 in 939 days.

Lazy Susan Batik

Lazy Susan Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

On this batik, the watercolor had a hard time seeping into the cracks of the masa rice paper (from the wadding it into a ball stage).  So, once I had ironed as much wax off as I could get to transfer to the newspaper, I then took a dryish watercolor brush with just a bit of the brown on it - and skimmed the surface of those creases,  Those creases soaked up the brown, gaining more of that batik effect. This painting makes 932 in 932 days.

Pink Calla Batik

Pink Calla Batik
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

A couple of years ago, my youngest daughter, youngest son and husband bought me two bunches of calla lilies to plant in the beds.  They are tropical, and should be dug out each winter. Well, I never did get around to that task - and for two years running, they have come back on their own - and bloomed beautifully!  I love it when that happens!  I've added a bit of hot wax splattering to the waxing stage on this one.  I like the loose effect - I will try a bit more on the next one!  This painting makes 931 in 931 days :)

Green Forest Batik

Green Forest Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

This is totally an experiment!  Still using the hot wax as a resist - it was very challenging to negatively paint those trees in wax - which is clear!  I couldn't see where I put it, so what I have is pushing towards the abstract!  Next time, I will at least paint a few dominant trees in the foreground before waxing.  I started the underpainting by catching the light in the sky, and then worked forward from there. I like the crazy dimension and otherworldly feel in this one!  This is painting number 930 in 930 days.

Purple Coneflower Batik

Purple Coneflower Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

This day has been totally out of my control.  An early morning phone call had me pulling supplies together to watch a grandchild with the stomach flu.  Taking all over to my daughter's, I worked when I could, with plenty of time for allowing layers to dry.  These coneflowers were painted first, then painted with hot wax as a resist.  Background colors were floated in, with a final coat of wax. After wrinkling up into a ball, brown was floated into the cracks, thus the batik effect.   Ironing between layers of paper finished off this 929th painting in as many days.

Gourds and Pumpkins

Gourds and Pumpkins
Watercolor batik on masa, 8x5
purchase here

Another day spent basking in the glory of the harvest!  I just love painting the rich colors of fall - and there is so much variety in the squash and gourds!  I have followed the same techniques as in the Harvest Basket, as I painted through the steps of these two at the same time.  When working on watercolor batiks, I almost always work on two, three or four at a time.  The main reason is that I like to start and finish with no down time.  In watercolor, I have to wait for the paint to dry between layers, so I simply move to the next painting instead of wasting my time just waiting.  I feel like I am unlocking the secrets of the masa paper with each painting I finish - the smallest little changes in method yield different results.  Experimenting really helps keep all things fresh - no chance if slipping into hum-drum when mixing it up daily!  Painting number 690 in as many days.

Dance of the Pumpkins

Dance of the Pumpkins
Watercolor batik on rice paper, 8x5
purchase here

We have a 2 - 4 inch snow predicted tomorrow!  The first one of the season - and it should be in the 50's this time of year!  When the cold air moves in, I want to get to the warm studio to paint.  It will take me just a bit to acclimate to the new cold and take my gear outside again.  I am just not a cold weather girl - I'll take the 100 degree heat any day over the freezing cold!  It has taken me all day to get to the easel.  Feeling the need for a little whimsey, this painting is loosely painted from a street scene still life in Fairfield, Illinois.  Painting number 685 in 685 days, and I hope I will be able to paint all day tomorrow while it snows!

Harvest Basket

Harvest Basket
Watercolor batik on masa, 5x8
purchase here

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 :)

Tall Ship at Sunset

Tall Ship at Sunset
Watercolor batik on masa, 5x8
purchase here

Today I have discovered something new about this masa paper.  I started the same way, with a sketch in india ink, followed by painting the ship and sails in watercolor.  I next brushed hot wax on only these painted parts plus some highlights in the water.  Adding the remaining color to the sky and water, I brushed hot wax over the whole piece.  After carefully crumpling the painting into a ball, and brushing off any wax that crack off, I found the wax cracked and popped off better.  This masa paper has been resistant to the flow of paint until now, as if the wax was just not coming off well enough in the cracks.  The difference?  With our "arctic blast" moving in, it is colder in the house than before.  Thus, the wax reacts so much better!  The watercolor flowed into the cracks more efficiently and spread in a webbing type of motion with little effort.  I have had to work to get this effect before now.  Even at my parent's house in Ohio, I noticed how poorly the wax was behaving - in one instance, it hardly worked at all!  Well, they keep their house considerably warmer than mine ever is.  So, on those days when the temperature is up, I will try popping my painting into the fridge or freezer, to help that wax do it's work.  So rewarding to learn something valuable while painting!  Painting number 682 in 682 days.

Autumn's Bounty

Autumn Bounty
Watercolor batik on rice paper, 8x5
purchase here

This has been a day where I just couldn't seem to focus.  My second day home from Ohio had me catching up on chores, and all those other loose ends I needed to work on.  I started painting countless times, only to get up and take care of something else.  Finally, I am finished with this watercolor batik of a still life on the main street in Fairfield.  There were several wonderful displays outside of the shops - and this is only one of three that I intend to paint! I am finding a preference for the super thin rice paper.  I have just two pieces left, and then a whole roll of masa - and I think I'll have to go get some more of the thin paper!  It is harder to paint on, but there is something about that translucency that I really love!  The masa is thicker, still a rice paper, but it paints more like a watercolor paper.  So, if you love controlling your paint - masa is probably the right choice for you.  If part of you likes throwing caution to the wind - then the super thin rice paper may be the perfect fit!  This painting makes the 680 in as many days - wow - I am nearing 700 paintings :)