watercolor highlights

I took watercolor painting classes (long live community art centers!) when I was in high school. After ten years away from paintbrushes, I recently picked them back up again.

I've been told by friends that I don't have a personality for watercolors. This might sound unfair or prescriptive, but I'd have to agree. Watercolors often benefit from a light touch, building up passes of color, and cautiously waiting for each layer to dry. They love loose gestures and suggestive mark-making. By comparison, I am generally impatient, I love creative instant gratification, and I habitually work in careful, rigid lines.

If art materials were an astrological sign, I concur with my cohort that I would be thick, opaque gouache or a dark, precise Micron pen. That said, opposites can attract, and trying out something that seems against your nature can be a good exercise. It took a few months for me to shake off the rust, and I do not consider myself to be a particularly excellent watercolor painter, but I've had a wonderful time relearning how to slow down and work slowly. Watercolors punish a rushed mind, and that's good for me. Here are some selections from my sketchbook.