It’s been too long since I have painted in a painterly fashion. I needed to jolt myself out of my comfort zone. It’s unfair to push my students out of their comfort zones if I linger in my own. To be a better teacher I need to be a better student. One of the exercises in Veronica Lawlor’s book One Drawing a Day is to draw with a bamboo pen. I chose to draw a vase of long-stemmed roses from Valentine’s Day that I had yet to dispose of. They are rather dry to say the least. The drawing was awkward. I haven’t drawn with a bamboo pen in several years. I thought I might improve it a bit with some watercolor washes. It only made it worse. Being terribly stubborn, I didn’t give up. Out came the gouache and the magic began to happen. I thought of my dear friend, Joanie Springer, whose license plate is “GOUACHE”.
Detail of Dried Roses – Ink, Watercolor and Gouache
Detail of Dried Roses
Detail of Dried Roses
Such joy! Such pleasure! Complete dreadfulness was transformed with painterly strokes. I’m not showing the entire piece because as a whole, it remains unresolved. Some of the details, however, are absolutely delicious and I am reminded of why I paint. When I see strokes, caligraphy marks, colors, textures, edges, drips and splatters working together harmoniously creating a symphony of visual richness, I am euphoric.
Dried Roses – Drawn first with bamboo pen soaked in water for an hour before using with Noodler’s Whalerman Sepia ink, followed by watercolor washes, more watercolor washes, too many watercolor washes … washed under the faucet on the left side, followed by more watercolor and finally pushed around with gouache. Viola!
Chris,
You were referring to your comforat zone in painting. I assumed its your style or technique (I called that fashion as opposed to the painterly fasion you were talking about in your post) you use your work in “Nature” and “Still life”. I was wondering if there are keywords to google and read into in order to develop in that direction.
Thanks,
Olga
Hi Chris,
What’s the name of your comfort zone fashion of painting?
Thanks,
Olga
Olga,
I don’t know how to answer your question. I don’t know what a “comfort zone fashion of painting” is. If you could reword your question I will do my best to answer it.
Chris
Chris,
You were referring to your comfort zone in your painting in this post. I was wondering if there is a name of that style or technique (I called that fashion) that you use?
I particularly adore your style (and I thought it is your comfort zone maybe I am wrong) in your work under “Still life”, “Nature” and “Mandalas” categories. So I was wondering what keywords to google and topics to read into in order to develop in this direction.
Olga
Olga,
When I refer to Comfort Zone, I could be referring to color, line, shapes, techniques, subject, size, pen, brush, etc. I am in my Comfort Zone when I am working with familiar tools in a familiar way, a technique I have used so many times that I can apply it without being challenged, a color combination I know works well for me. It means that I am doing something I know how to do well and I’m not challenging my skill level. The results are fairly predictable. I’m not sure what words to suggest to you. My suggestion would be to experiment in any way you can to explore new territory. I am always trying to add new tools to my toolbox, which means that I want to expand my abilities and my way of expressing life as I experience it. I try new color combinations, new tools, new shapes, different sizes of canvas and sketchbook, new subject matter. I hope this helps.