Observing Magic

Magical colour effects in watercolour

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It doesn't matter how often I paint  there is never a time when I don't feel in awe of the magic that watercolour can create as a medium. This week I experimented for my new book which will be published in 2012. I have  new techniques and colour interactions which I am really excited about sharing. My research into what is already "out there" versus what could be uniquely new is a fabulous excuse to spend hours and literally days working on  different approaches to a variety of subjects. Looking at how to capture them with  fabulous unusual results.

My favourite effect this week has to be the above mixture of colour which really does highlight the incredible beauty of watercolour. This pattern is not created by the artist. The magic is in what the medium can do. Nothing in the art world compares to watercolour. I adore oil and pastel. Acrylics come into the arena in their own way but in my mind I still see them as a stop gap between using pure oil or as a replacement for working in true watercolour which has a reputation for being the most difficult medium to use. Many acrylic artists I know tell me they prefer  them purely because they are easier to master. And there is a myth that watercolours aren't as vibrant. The sense of achievement when working with a medium that isn't easy to handle is euphoric whilst the vibrant claim flies out of the window at times when brilliant colour combinations sing in compositions full of life.

I am working with Daniel Smith watercolours,experimenting and really enjoying what is happening when their colours combine.

I doubt I will ever have enough hours in a day to achieve all I wish to achieve in experimentation but the sheer pleasure of working  every single minute that I can is  bliss!