It's Over, but it has Only Just Begun!

Collage watercolor painting of Afraican Tulip and Elephant Ears

Well, it was a long week, but an exciting one!!!!  Judi Betts' exercises are extremely challenging and at the end of each day, I was exhausted.  However, I have gained much from the experience and feel that many of the lessons learned can be applied to my own work.  So, what did I learn?????

Technocolor Goat

Lesson 1:  Think outside of the box.  My drive for perfectionism, and realism have definitely created walls around my creativity.  Unfortunately, there are many, many artists that can paint very realistic and beautiful pictures.  The trick is to stay true to myself, yet stand apart from the rest - to acheive that you must think outside of the box and be unique.  My assignment from Judi - do the graphite drawing "Pain and Comfort" and make it more "flamboyant" - give it some "ump"....she gave me 2 months to get that done : )

Lesson 2:  Let your name be known.  I always scribble my name real small in the corner or along some object within my art to make my name "blend" into the picture.  Well, I want people to know my name and associate it with my work.  So from now on, my name goes nice and bold on the art I create. 

Ink and Watercolor 5 minute sketch of Michele

Lesson 3:  Draw, draw, draw - paint, paint, paint.  I am so worried about getting a piece right, or screwing another one up, sometimes I don't do anything at all due to not wanting to waster the paper or the paint.  Hey - it's only paper (yes, expensive paper, but paper never-the-less.)  I bought a really nice Art Journal, and I made myself draw in it.....and now, I find I am doing something in it all the time.  I sketch in it (good sketches and not so good sketches) I journal in it, jot down ideas, scribble colors I want to remember, glued my tickets from El Yunque painting expedition, did a collage on one page - it really has opened me up to creating something....and that is ADDICTIVE.  I want to draw and paint so often that it becomes as natural and easy as breathing . . . you just do it. 

A Page from my Art Journal depicting El Yunque Trip

I worked some more on the Variation of a checker board with the shells.  I ended up really darkening up the surrounding areas....and I am satisfied with the way this has turned out.  In fact it does have an abstract quality to it, and I would tell you in a heartbeat - I am not an abstract artist, but I really am pleased with this piece. 

Finished Abstract Shell with Variation of checker Board

We did another underpainting at El Yunque called Mingling.  Basically, you really wet your paper in random areas leaving 1/3 of the center white.  Then you put color on the page making sure that your paper is tilted, and you let the colors run and mingle together.  Once this has completely dried, you have your underpainting and are ready to put your subject matter on, as you would on a blank piece of paper.  Mingling created beautiful backgrounds for my work in El Yunque. 

Wild Ginger with Mingled Underpainting

Our last day was spent creating another type of underpainting which basically resembled quadrants on the page.  You run one line horizontally across your page (not in the center) and then add 2 or 3 horizontal lines to create uneven blocks.  The next step is applying very light colors in the blocks. . . either red, yellow, blue, green or orange (not purple, brown or grey).  For once - leave no white at all.  After this has dried you sketch in your subject matter.  Then the fun begins.  You paint over the color blocks, only using that color's compliment.  So, if you have a green block, you can only use red on it, if it is an orange block, you use blue on it etc......It absolutely helps to write what the base color is and it's complement along the margins of your paper.  I created two goat drawings using this method.  Both need some more work, and unfortunately, I painted over my goats tail, and still need to correct that....but the end result is pretty interesting. 


Goat on Rectangular Underpainting


It has been an intense week, but so invigorating and exciting.  Planning on going out on the beach on Sunday to do some sketching and drawing.  Until then - adios.