Drippy Daffodils

Drippy Daffodils
Watercolor on paper, 5x7

It has been a while, but I have painted some “drippy” watercolor paintings - and they are so much fun!  I love the unpredictable way the paint drops with a little gravity!  I’m using this technique on some of the glorious daffodils in my yard, and since it is raining - and snowing - it is perfect to make them drip!   I had to order some new brushes to replace one damaged by my puppy, and this is the first time I’ve used these Pro Arte brushes.  I love them, they are performing just like my other one.  I ordered in a selection of sizes, and it is nice to have options other than my super large round for the whole shabang!  This is my 1179th painting in 1179 days!  

KC Dripping in Batik

KC Dripping in Batik
Watercolor batik on masa, 6x8
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How about those Kansas City Royals?  SO EXCITING to have won the first two games in the World Series - and in SUCH dramatic fashion!!  Tonight's game will be in New York - and I'm looking forward to another night with those "boys in blue"!!!  This painting is just a little fun with watercolor dripping on masa paper, followed by hot wax, freezing, wadding, and cracking, and topping it off with watercolor floated over those cracks.  Next come a hot ironing between newspaper, and voila! -this is what remains!  I just couldn't help but cheer my boys on with a little Royal fun in the studio today!  Painting number 1032 in 1032 days!!  Let's have another win tonight, boys :)

Drippy Bluebird

Drippy Bluebird
Watercolor on paper, 10x7

My daughter had asked me for an abstract, watercolor bluebird painting a couple of weeks ago.  She told me she wanted it to be 6 foot tall for her dorm room! After responding that watercolor paper does not come that large, I didn't hear further on the subject.  She came home for the weekend, and the topic came up again, she was kidding about size - so I started working on a bluebird.  I haven't had my watercolors out for a while, and it as fun to be playing in the water again! This is actually the third one I painted today - and her favorite.  I used three kinds of paper, this an arches 140 lb cold pressed.  I looked high and low, but I think I must be out of my favorite 300 lb paper block.  I simply love the way the heavy weight paper allows the paint to mingle and spread - and I love the texture as well.  Another thing I LOVE about watercolors?  They are SUPER fast to work in - which is this busy girl's "go to" on a day full of lunch out with family, visiting Mike's parents, and getting home in time to frame before Michaela makes the long drive back to campus! This painting makes 1006 in 1006 days :)

Geraniums at Play

Geraniums at Play
Watercolor on paper, 6x9
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Every year, I plant the beloved geraniums.  Every year but this one.  Our new puppy, now 6 months old, has a passion for emptying every pot and container of all plantlife and dirt - no matter how heavy those pots are!  So, this year, I am simply admiring these beauties from afar.  I love the look of dripping watercolor on paper.  One would think that this is a simple process of raising the paper upright, the the juicy watercolors would just drip downwards.  Well, it doesn't work that easy for me!  Last time, I had to blow on the drops to make them fall.  This time, I held the paper upright and tapped it on the table...several times before the drips would fall!  I wanted drama in this painting, so I chose indigo for the shadow areas, pulling some of it back out with a stiff nubby bristle brush and water - blotting with a paper towel to lift the color.  This left a ghostly image of petals in the background.  I need to be careful with this technique, lest I rub some of the paper away as well.  Today, I add scarlet lake to my arsenal of reds, and a little new gamboge for the sun kissed highlights (yes, I am still working my way though my newfound treasure of watercolors!). Painting number 582 in as many days.

Dripping Hydrangeas

Dripping Hydrangeas
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

Today, I have played a bit with dripping the paint down the page, simply by lifting it up, and blowing the drips down - when some didn't follow gravity.  I let a couple drips fall over the very wet surface - and they spread, while the others were over a drier surface.  I'm not sure what I think about leaving the bottom of the page white to accent these drips.  After rubbing down the fingerprints on my right hand, I went in search of anything that would make the removal of the drawing gum easier - and I found it!  Certain wine bottles have a plastic/rubber like cork, instead of real cork - and as I sometimes save these, I found five that do a much better job at the removal than my fingers!  I simply hold them horizontally along the surface, and rub until the gum comes off.  They are not quite as good as the rubber cement remover, but a really good "next best"!  Thank goodness!  My fingertips were still a bit tender from last night's work, so this was a life saver.  I am wondering about experimenting more with this drippy technique - I really like the way the wet paper drips spread out.  How could I best use this technique for the landscape?  Upside down hollyhocks come to mind, but that is just crazy!  This painting makes 558 in as many days.  Now, I am going to organize my watercolors by hue while my parents are napping :)