Brush Balance

On friday, I set my computer work aside and got back to my easel. Well, eventually I did. It really is a tough thing, when you get going on one side of the brain or the other (painting vs running numbers and other computerish work for the business), to switch back. For me, the transition is a tough one!

Still, all this computer work had me feeling a bit down, and so it was nice to finally get some fun work in!

I decided to work between a few pieces. I'm still working on the watercolor:

It's starting to come together, but it's been so long since I worked with watercolors, a lot of this is trying to remember how I did things. Or, frankly, just muddle through with a lot of "Oh... well.. that didn't work at all, now did it?" One of the things I hate about watercolor is that there are no do-overs. I messed up and had too strong a pigment on my brush? Well this paper is sucking it down, so too bad for me! Now what? It is a bit of an adventure for the same reason though. I don't have all the colors I need in watercolors, so I am using diluted acrylics as well (those, I have just about EVERY color.)

I don't know if this painting will come out well or be a waste, but I do know there are some effects in watercolor that I just love. For example, the outlining of the big tree? I kept darkening the edges and I love how it pushes the white forward. Granted, in this painting that's going to disappear a bit when the bark goes in, but I was thinking ahead to maybe a snow queen... this sort of effect, and maybe just whites and blues with a little color on the queen herself. I think that could be really lovely!

I'm also working more traditionally (for me) on my Halloween kitties in Acrylic:

As you can see, I've got the background in, and the moon as well. What you can't see is the lighter bulk of the moon, in certain lights flashes pearlescant blue, because I overlaid a light wash of it. My goal this coming week is to finish this kitty painting, and also a mermaid one I mentioned earlier (I have some underpainting in, but it looks like a complete mess right now.)

Oh, and I also managed to pick up some really pretty frames that can take a small panel (4x6 and 5x7) and I'm trying to figure out what to paint for them!

It feels good to be back in my studio!