I decided just to have a 'play day'...to play with autumn colors and see what might happen. It's fun when I let myself experiment - really let go of the need to create 'the' masterpiece.
I was thinking of autumn leaves...what else when you think of autumn colors? So, here's my process. I got out a sheet of watercolor paper and a pencil. I began drawing some oak leaves. I love their shapes. When I thought I had enough leaves, I wet the paper and began brushing around some reds, golds, greens and even threw in a bit of blue (thinking sky...) I wanted to use only one big brush for the entire painting.
Interestingly to me, the pencil marks were there and completely ignored as I applied color. I was so involved in play that I did not use them at all. The paper was very wet at this point so I set it aside to dry a bit. My instructor saw it at this point and said, "You're not afraid to try anything." I think that was a nice way of saying, "That's pretty awful, but good for you for trying something new."
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it at this stage. When I went back to it later, I needed a way to draw all the areas of color together. I randomly put in some arcs of color using the tip of same big brush I had used earlier. The freedom was really fun.
The end product is a little 'muddy' in places and I am not sure exactly how it goes...I painted it with the blue at the top. I think I like it better at the bottom...hmmm, not sure. It's not something that I would sign and frame, but it was freeing and fun.
When I got home I experimented with it some more - really messed it up and ended up washing it all off! The freedom comes from one of my teacher's voices in my head that says..."It's only paper!"
It's very OK, it doesn't always work out...
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