I’ve been painting almost exclusively in watercolors for 10 years now. No wonder it’s beginning to depress me. I’ve been working on a watercolor of a mountain/ski scene from a photo I took last winter and it’s driving me mad. The colors seems so limited and lack a certain substance that the mountains demand. Time for a change.
I have been experimenting a little here and there with water soluable oils since the summer, when I took a plein air painting class in Estes Park, Colorado. I went for water soluable as opposed to traditional oils because there is little ventilation in my studio, I’m not big on solvents and it seems (yes seems) like a gentler transition from watercolor to oil. I haven’t created any masterpieces in oil yet, nothing I’m proud of, but then I haven’t been practicing as much as I’d like to. There is a constant struggle between doing the work that makes instant money (graphic design) and doing the painting that doesn’t feel like work (everything else). It is frustrating and I get very impatient with myself, yet I procrastinate things that are unfamiliar and scary, like using a new medium.
I hope to take more oil painting classes this year when the roads to Estes Park open again. I would also love to paint on location during an upcoming trip to Italy and Greece. But we need to pack light and there is nothing light about my portable easel. Watercolors may have to do.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE
Today is Miss Maggie May’s 3rd birthday. She seems excited. She also seems to think that this means she is old enough to drink. Well of course that’s not good for you, I told her. Then she insisted that there is, in fact, beer made for dogs. Well excuse me!
So far celebrations have included a flavor-infused rawhide roll for each of the dogs. Maggie is having a hard time sharing though, even when they each have their own treat. When Butters isn’t watching she swipes it and runs away with his. Aaah, my Maggie.
Happy Monday.
