When I was in college studying Art Education I had a daily struggle. It happened when I walked into my oil painting class and didn’t end until I walked out.
Now mind you, I had eagerly, breathlessly been waiting outside the door of the 3rd floor painting studio for 2 years, anticipating my turn at the hallowed easal with the renowned and wise professor, who would lovingly and patiently teach me how to paint with oils. Now here I was, in the very studio of my dreams. And all I would hear from the renowned and wise professor was (after a long and awkward pause, her looking over my shoulder) “Well, finish this one and go on to the next one.”
Embarrassment. Heartbreak. Doubt. Anger. All these stirred up inside me while sitting in front of that easal. How was I to finish this one and go on to the next one when I didn’t know HOW? Could you just SHOW ME HOW?
Looking back now, I fully realize that was the best advice I could’ve gotten at the time. After all, the only way to learn how to paint is to paint, paint, paint and paint some more. At the time, however, it was daunting, intimidating and discouraging.
Finally, after three semesters of my struggle with oil paint, I took a Watercolor class. My art student friends were all saying things like “It is going to be HARD!” I figured nothing could be harder than oil painting, so I took it. Fortunately, from the first day in there, it flowed (pun intended).
My professor taught us the simplicity of painting with water. Really, that’s all it is. You are putting pigment in water and then painting layer over transparent layer on pure white paper. You are letting the white of the paper shine through.
He had us “practice” the color first by loading up the brush and painting a stroke of color along the margin of the paper. That way we knew whether it would be transparent enough. No opacity allowed! A dark color was achieved by adding several layers of light colors until the darkness was achieved. The brilliant result was that light would shine and reflect through each layer, making the overall effect one of pure color and light.
He showered us with examples of what to do and what not to do. He constantly walked around our desks, observing, commenting, teaching. He was never critical or intimidating. Sometimes he would come by and point to the margin of pure color strokes and say “ I like this the best!” That was his way of implying that perhaps the rest of the painting was a bit overworked and muddy. When he started to use my work as an example of right, I was exhilarated. I felt I was finally beginning to find my voice in paint. My oil painting professor started to let me paint with watercolor in her class as well. Both teachers actually allowed me to leave the classroom and visit the nearby campus greenhouses so I could draw and paint from the abundant plant life there.
So here I am, over 40 years later, having come full circle back to my watercolor love. It is akin to visiting a dear old friend, the one whose sentences I can finish because I know her so well. And it’s still the purity of those watery, transparent layers wherein I find my voice. I am a mixed media collage artist, and most of the pieces begin with pure colored water.
Now mind you, I had eagerly, breathlessly been waiting outside the door of the 3rd floor painting studio for 2 years, anticipating my turn at the hallowed easal with the renowned and wise professor, who would lovingly and patiently teach me how to paint with oils. Now here I was, in the very studio of my dreams. And all I would hear from the renowned and wise professor was (after a long and awkward pause, her looking over my shoulder) “Well, finish this one and go on to the next one.”
Embarrassment. Heartbreak. Doubt. Anger. All these stirred up inside me while sitting in front of that easal. How was I to finish this one and go on to the next one when I didn’t know HOW? Could you just SHOW ME HOW?
Looking back now, I fully realize that was the best advice I could’ve gotten at the time. After all, the only way to learn how to paint is to paint, paint, paint and paint some more. At the time, however, it was daunting, intimidating and discouraging.
Finally, after three semesters of my struggle with oil paint, I took a Watercolor class. My art student friends were all saying things like “It is going to be HARD!” I figured nothing could be harder than oil painting, so I took it. Fortunately, from the first day in there, it flowed (pun intended).
My professor taught us the simplicity of painting with water. Really, that’s all it is. You are putting pigment in water and then painting layer over transparent layer on pure white paper. You are letting the white of the paper shine through.
He had us “practice” the color first by loading up the brush and painting a stroke of color along the margin of the paper. That way we knew whether it would be transparent enough. No opacity allowed! A dark color was achieved by adding several layers of light colors until the darkness was achieved. The brilliant result was that light would shine and reflect through each layer, making the overall effect one of pure color and light.
He showered us with examples of what to do and what not to do. He constantly walked around our desks, observing, commenting, teaching. He was never critical or intimidating. Sometimes he would come by and point to the margin of pure color strokes and say “ I like this the best!” That was his way of implying that perhaps the rest of the painting was a bit overworked and muddy. When he started to use my work as an example of right, I was exhilarated. I felt I was finally beginning to find my voice in paint. My oil painting professor started to let me paint with watercolor in her class as well. Both teachers actually allowed me to leave the classroom and visit the nearby campus greenhouses so I could draw and paint from the abundant plant life there.
So here I am, over 40 years later, having come full circle back to my watercolor love. It is akin to visiting a dear old friend, the one whose sentences I can finish because I know her so well. And it’s still the purity of those watery, transparent layers wherein I find my voice. I am a mixed media collage artist, and most of the pieces begin with pure colored water.
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