How did I get there?

Last Fall, I continued to experiment with my watercolor paints on yupo paper. Of course, I can't remember exactly how I did some of these things so I looked back in my pictures files to try to figure out my process. I have a final painting that I really love and was trying to find out how I got there!

The first thing I found was this - 

I almost remember doing this. I was experimenting with primary colors. It certainly looks like the red and yellow overtook any blue that may have been in this. I studied this a lot and tried to imagine if this was the beginning of the painting that I like. It looks a lot like ketchup and mustard! I probably just washed it off. Yupo paper is very forgiving - you can literally put it in the sink and run water over it.

The next image I found was this - 

Again using primary colors and lots of water. I do remember being fascinated by how the paint ran down the paper and created little rivers. 

I began trying to see if it was becoming anything. I let that dry a little, then turned it on its side and sprayed it some more. 

It looks like I added a bit of blue toward the top - I guess it becomes sky? And maybe a few more glops of paint here and there. Lots of drips now. The yellows and blues are turning green and some of the reds and blues are becoming  purple. Actually, quite a mess - but I loved the drips!

It's good to know when to stop! I let it dry for a day or so. 

As one of my watercolor gurus used to say, "It's only paper." That phrase has often given me permission to not be 'uptight' about creating the perfect image every time. 

I had an idea about further enhancing - or ruining - the above painting. A year ago I had experimented with thin sheets of foam material. (I had gotten these supplies for my grandchildren when they visit and want to do arts and crafts.)

I decided to cut the foam pieces into small leaf shapes. Knowing that when I touch yupo paper with anything wet and then lift it off, the paint also lifts off. I was picturing a fall scene...

I wet each leaf, pressed in onto the paper and removed it. I tried to choose places where there the colors were a little overwhelming so that I could tome them down a little. You can compare the two here. 

I did a little cropping for the final painting.  Here it is by itself.

Some of you have already seen this as I boasted about it winning an honorable mention in a recent watercolor show at the St. Michaels Library. Several people wanted to know how I did it. This, I think, is the story!

Catching up... with yupo

 During this past year most of my posts have been about the sketches that I challenged myself to do on a daily basis for a 365 days. There were a few other things posted during that time, but I didn't write about most of the other 'stuff' that I was doing. 

As I look back through my photo file, I see that there are a lot of things that I worked on! It has felt like a lost year in so many ways, but I did a lot of experimenting in art.

A couple years ago I did some playful abstract experimenting. Last fall I started playing with it again. I re-discovered my yupo paper and decided to 'play.' 

I needed to get away from the tightness of the portraits I had been working on. It was time to just throw some paint.

One of the very helpful things for me in doing this artwork is to blog about it as I complete it. I can replay how the painting was made and go over the process. Unfortunately, these paintings were done last November and I did not blog about them...hard to remember just what I did!

As I recall... this painting just began with color on wet yupo paper. I dropped color here and there along the top. I wanted a runny effect so I sprayed a bit of water on it and held it by the upper right hand corner. I continued to spatter more paint on it as it ran.

I let it dry.  I tried looking at it in different directions and shapes.

I love that it looks like it has texture. I think the paint must have 'glopped' a little and the water ran around it to create that effect. It really is flat, but looks like the paint is peeling off the paper. 

I ended up turning it upside down and cropping it a little. I think it looks like a colorful rockslide or waterfall. 

More to come...