I realize that this in not one of my best efforts but this is a small gouache study for the virtual paintout challenge. I'm a bit embarrassed to post this because it doesn't look like it took much time to do. Well, it didn't take much time. I did it yesterday and wasn't in the mood to paint. I tried a pastel first of a building in the Canary Islands that had succulents growing from the roof tiles. It was a very cool picture but my rendition of it looked very juvenile. That landed in the trash. I don't throw many painting attempts away so that should tell you how bad it was. I wasn't being lazy this week. I've been working on my big watercolor all week as you can see the WIP below.
I don't know if you can tell what this is or not. I started out by throwing some pale paint on it in an abstract shape. I knew I wanted to paint koi beneath it but that was as far as my planning stage went. I'm not sure what's going to happen with this painting. This is the only time I have tackled a watercolor painting without fully planning where it will go. Sometimes that plan changes as I paint but I have always known where I WANTED it to go. I have a lot of time into this painting so far and the thought that it may end up as a dud is not very motivating. However, I will plod along and see where it takes me. I know I need to darken my values on the stuff under whatever that is on top. Then I need to decide what that is on top. Is it reflections, or flotsam and jetsam, or just some abstract something? Any ideas?
The painting from yesterday is lovely I wish I could manage greens the way you have in this. I stand in awe of you that you have so much patience when painting the work in progress already shows all the marks of a great painting I so look forward to seeing it completed. Some lilly leeaves seem to show themselves but hey never listen to me. I bow tou my superiors in this.
ReplyDeleteI like the Canary Islands painting, Nancy. The greens are so lush and so vibrant. Lovely! I can't wait to see how you finish out the koi watercolors!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ralph and Sherry. I will work some more on the Koi this week and I suppose that how it ends up will depend on my mood at the time.
ReplyDeleteYour Canary Islands painting is so warm and gives the feeling of being envelopped in greenness...
ReplyDeleteHow about mirror image reflections of the sky on the koi painting?
Love what is going on with those koi... cant wait to see what happens next!
ReplyDeletenancy,
ReplyDeletethe picture transmits a feeling of the nature around the art lover...
there is nothing to worry about anything in your picture...
congrats...
Great work on the Canary Islands piece, Nancy! The painting is quite lovely - and that you had the discipline to paint although not in the mood is the signature of a "real" artist! The Koi watercolor is coming along! Can't wait to see it finished!
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