So, for the past 4 weeks, I have been taking a watercolor class at the Wayne Art center with Mick McAndrews. I have admired his work for several years after I came upon it at a gallery in West Chester and feel very fortunate to be able to study under such a talented watercolor artist. I love his loose yet realistic style. This painting was completed during the 2nd class after he demonstrated how to paint distant mountains, the effect of mist and talked at length about values and composition. I am learning so much and, as I normally paint in oils, this has been a new and extremely fascinating experience. One of my secret desires in life is to be multi-lingual.. being able to speak several languages fluently. While I don't think that will happen within my life time, it is nice to think that I may achieve a modicum of success in more than one medium. I can hope!
Mick provided the photo reference which he got from a friend of his who lives in Alaska. Of the many things I have learned, this class taught me that its all about the paper. I painted this scene first on less expensive, lesser quality paper, and I was not able to achieve the effects that Mick was teaching. I quickly got out the better paper (Arches rough texture, 140 lb cotton rag) and started again. While it does not compare to Mick's painting, I am pleased. :)
"This Alaskan Life", watercolor, 12"x8", NFS
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