I came across Andrew Gleeson’s online Loose Watercolor Academy a few months ago. Loose watercolor technique was just what this control freak needed!
My favorite of all the tutorials had to do with making leaves. Every time I try the technique, I end up with different products. I could seriously make leaves every week!
https://loosewatercolours.com/
Take a number 2 pencil,
soft lead,
no eraser.
Sketch the outline.
Mark the shadows.
Note the highlights.
In pastels
detail the work.
Add perspective, dimension,
point of view.
Shade in tang.
Let it rest.
Draw it again –
in vivid markers.
Like Picasso’s bull.
Just the bones,
the important ones.
Then erase half.
Does it squirm?
Terse in its candor?
Then it’s a poem.
I am from piercing blue winter skies,
from hoarfrost on casement windows,
from bare feet on cold floors,
from living room fire, coal in the basement.
I am from knowledge I’m kin to the dogwood under my window
who whispered of spring, buds and blooms,
of change and adventure.
I am from angel food cake and corrective shoes,
From Indian Pudding, maple syrup on snow,
from Howdy Doody to Lucky Pup.
I am from family treks in the snow-embossed woods,
gather laurel, tuck behind mirror,
mass in the willow basket at Christmas.
From jugs of apple juice on the back porch,
that raisins bubble to hard cider.
I am from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and Angels ‘Round My Bed,
puzzled by Father God and Mother Nature,
From Rose Red and Rose White, Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel
From Annie Get Your Gun and Merry Widow.
I am from huddles in the bathroom with my mother,
light only from the purple black-out bulb,
listen to planes overhead, mother’s murmurs,
they are friendly planes but we still had to be quiet.
I am from rumors that a neighbor is a Nazi spy,
gives radio guidance
to enemy submarines in the bay.
From going to a black market butcher, surprised
that the tiles on his walls were white.
I am from walks down McCoom’s Lane to the woods,
From ladies’ slippers and Queen Ann’s Lace,
buttercups, violets, Solomon’s seal, Jack in the Pulpit.
Rule #1 of Bite Club is there is NO SHAME in Bite Club
This piece started with the picture of the cotton candy. I knew that I wanted to focus on this, but it wasn’t until I found the image of mouth and the strong man, the rest started to evolve. I loved making his arms extend right into the cotton candy and the strawberry ice-cream bar (a childhood favorite) – he’s like ARGGG!!! I’ve included so many of my favorite sweets including the melting S’more. The girl behind the cotton candy was a perfect representation of the hate / love relationship so many of us feel around sweets and the self-judgement that can come up from our diet culture.
Years ago my teaching partner was given a gnome as a holiday gift. From then on, his gnome collection has grown and grown. I’m working on this as a birthday gift. Mochi can’t seem to stay away from it 😛
I lined the back with tie-dye flannel – again, Mochi can’t stay away 😛
Next step, binding. I’m really happy how the design I created turned out.
I made this for mom’s Easter present. I loved building the background. Most of which you don’t see obviously, but the parts that pop out are perfect – like the eggs have been placed on grass and flowers.
I created this for my friend’s birthday. She’d asked some time ago for a rainbow related piece, so when I found this amazing cake, I knew that this would be the anchor of the piece. I had the bird basic form (very limited) and decided to build plombage from various colors and textures and positioned it as if it had burst out of the cake. To represent her early years in sobriety, I built images to represent the ability to see new aspects of like once obscured. I think the eyeball is a bit creepy, but the rainbow in it just seemed too perfect not to used, so I tried cutting it apart to help emphasize it. In the bottom right I added a little Tiffany’s box for my birthday wish.
My final assigned in my water color class was a tulip filed. It was the first time I was like “damn – this is good” 😛
This was my first Watercolor assignment. Oh how I struggled on this robin – which is why I call it Strangled Bird because I felt like I was throttling this poor piece to the point where I just thought it was terrible. I couldn’t make the subtle gray work which is they I changed to layering dark blue – I thought it looked terrible and i was so frustrated. The next day I looked at it and thought I’d done a pretty good job, and today I show it to my students as an example of transitioning away from a fixed mindset.
Heartful Line 