I've picked up watercolour painting (again) as a new hobby, but this time I'm doing it properly and actually having lessons. A teacher was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm finding it really interesting and so much easier than trying to figure it out by myself! The teacher is very experienced and has seen every student disaster ever made, and has a clear way of explaining things that makes sense to me. So I potter through the online lessons at my own pace, then post pictures of what I've done and get some feedback from the teacher, which is always helpful, and go onto the next one.
One of the best things is that she is very insistent on using good materials - just one brush, but make it a good one, just three colours but a proper brand, not reams of paper just a couple of sheets of the nice stuff - and it has made a huge difference. And I LOVE the paper, it is beautiful, I just like patting it.
It is an absolute beginners course so we do a lot of exercises and little paintings to try and grasp the basics. I am not very good. But that's OK. I have figured out that I like watercolours because of the hard edge, where it hits dry paper. It is hard to explain but there is a line there that makes me happy. I am not so keen on the general wishy washy ness of watercolour but I think you might have to understand all those concepts to take it any further. I didn't like most of the quilting I did for the first ten years either :) Here are gum leaves. Something there are plenty of on my everlasting walks.
It has been a treat to have something to look forward to in the evenings and the weekends. This weekend was cold and rainy, not that we can go anywhere anyway. I can't see this lockdown ending on Thursday as planned, there are just too many cases about, and NSW is an absolute basket case and just down the road. I am mostly happy - going to work and sitting behind my perspex screen - but we are all getting a bit sick of it.
Wow. I think you're very good! Impressive.
ReplyDeleteHere in S Aust we are just continuously holding our breath...watching our Vic and NSW neighbours and hoping nothing spreads, but Delta is like water and seeps in everywhere. My family in Canberra are struggling, going from no cases to so much seemingly overnight must be very difficult. I'm trying to understand Gladys' logic - but I can't do it. She's a mystery.
ReplyDeleteSo I wish you Canberrans (Ken Behrens or is that annoying?) all the best as you live life sandwiched between the two worrying states.
Your paintings are lovely - well done for learning something new!
I love it. Very satisfying result already. I could never go from being told what to do to seeing and doing it by myself but that almost inspires me to give it another try.
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