A watercolor journey

This evening while I was out for my walk I started thinking about watercolors and an artist's journey.   I've been painting  for 10 years with this fun & frustrating medium.  In so many areas I feel as if I am just a beginner and I bet if the Good Lord lets me have another 10 I'll still feel very much a novice.  As I consider all the bad paintings I've done and the ones I thought were okay but should have been tossed;  I've come to know art is truly like taking a trip.  There are bumpy roads, rocky mountains, and smooth seas when traveling.  What keeps me coming back daily and painting is the true challenge of watercolor and the sheer luminous beauty of water and paint working together.

I've enjoyed doodling with pen and ink, colored pencil, pastels and even dabbling a bit in acrylics but I always  return to watercolors.   They fascinate and surprise me in their magic.  So if any of you have felt like this at times and wanted to give up - consider the thought that  art is a journey and not a destination.  It truly is about having fun along the way and making friends and creating something that is and can only be done by you in your unique way.

Inventory color chart

In the winter I sometimes get the "lazies" or those moments when there really is nothing I want to paint.  This year to combat those times I decided to paint charts (believe me they are not beautiful ) but they kept me pushing the brush around.  First I did a chart of all the colors I have in my possession .   Wow what an exercise!  I had tubes of paint tucked away that I didn't even know I had and some that had never even been open.   It took me about a week to paint the chart but I really got into it and discovered some really great colors.   (So much for working with a limited palette).   Then I worked with a chart of greens - that is a very difficult color for me.   How about any of you?

Chart of green mixes

Sometimes the simple activities lead to inspiration and this helped me during one of those dry times.  I even got the idea that I might try doing a painting of foliage using  the different mixes of green.  I will maybe wait until next year's winter blahs because right now I have snowdrops blooming and they are calling me to come out and paint them.

God bless you all ! Be sure to come visit me real soon.