Author: -N-

Along the Oregon Coast

If you think that the SoCal coast can be foggy, Oregon is by far more foggy at times!  It’s an incredibly beautiful coastline with wide, nearly empty beaches.  Out to sea are the sea stacks, some large, some small.  In clear weather they are stunning, in the fog, spooky and eerie.

Today, a limited palette and paying particular attention to laying down water and thin colors.  Washes are the dominant technique used here.  My little picky brush strokes had to give way to broad ones for the beach and damp sand.  It actually worked fairly well.  Water, water, everywhere!

Lonely Yucca

Usually yuccas grow on hillsides here in SoCal. This was one I believe was deliberately planted on the hilltop of the botanical garden. They are amazing plants – beautiful and tall, but they die away each year, putting out new leaves and a new stalk. This time of year you can see them straight and bright on the green hills, all of which have low-lying vegetation. Rather like a candle . . .

To the Sea

More work this morning with thin washes and working wet-in-wet.  Not as pleasing as yesterday’s work, but a good experience nonetheless.  A limited palette, some work with glazes, and use of dry brush.  Painted on Fluid paper, which was a new experience – rather different in handling than Arches, but similar to the Fabriano I used yesterday.  DOF isn’t there – I think the water further in the distance should be lighter . . . something to think about.

2020 Watercolor Review

I have been trying to paint daily – not happening! – in one of three media: watercolor, gouache, and pastels. Today I am just going to present a slide show of what I have done in watercolor this year. Like anything that is being measured, it goes up and down as far as “success”, and that is subjective. What I think is good may not be in another’s opinion, and vice versa. The thing is to keep doing it, sometimes spontaneously and other times with a bit, or a lot, of forethought.