Monday, August 6, 2012

Introspection

Introspection, 6" x7" original watercolor on Arches 260lb by Carrie Waller

Hi Everyone,

So I got a little distracted this week and completely abandoned my painting from last week to start another one.  Of course I will be coming back to my glowing jars, but I got a little antsy and decided to participate in DPW challenge from last week.  Confession time, I get really frustrated with the DPW challenges because I feel like they are geared toward oil painters a majority of the time.  I am probably the only one that feels that way, it's just my opinion anyway.  So, I was pleasantly surprised that last weeks challenge was to paint a rose, and you could use your own photo reference and not confined to someone else's mediocre photo.  I just so happened to be sitting on some great photos of roses that my husband's Aunt had sent me.  So I allowed myself to start a new painting as long as I started and finished in one day.  I did it:) 

I will have to say after painting in yellow I remembered that yellow is a difficult color to paint with in watercolor.  It's very easy to lose the glow and end up with mud.  It is also extremely difficult to photograph, but it was a fun exercise and a happy distraction with that said,  I promise to have more work in progress pictures of my ball jars on Wednesday.

Carrie

15 comments:

  1. It really is beautiful! Definitely no mud here! And much harder to do in watercolours too.
    And I just love that little easel :0)

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  2. You have given a time-worn subject a fresh, creative look! This is awesome! The composition is SOOO good! I like the flow of the eye through the design, and the way the colors blend. Each petal is exquisite! Nice job!

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  3. So beautiful, Carrie.............yes, difficult is a kind word. I tried roses both with watercolor paints and pencils and I liked the pencils better.

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  4. Rich, warm and so many lovely dips and folds to get lost in. Great!

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  5. As soon as I saw the pic I thought to myself... This lady has guts to do a whole painting with yellow.. Wow.. As you said it is just such a difficult color to work with and you have done brilliantly..

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  6. Knowing that you started and finished this one in one day just made my jaws drop, since I've been agonizing over my yellow rose for over... How many months now? Sorry, I lost count ;-P I do feel I need to bump my head over a bean curd and kill myself now +___+ Haha.

    I do feel the same at a lot of times as you for the DPW challenges, and I've learned early on in my study from Karen Frey, a wonderful painter in both oil and watercolor, that there are reference photos that speaks the aesthetics of an oil painting, just as well as there are reference photo that yearns to be painted in watercolor, which are not always interchangeable for the best effects. To do a successfully oil it's best to start with a reference with saturated colors and space for textual interests (areas that you can play with thick and thin paint as well as brushwork application), which a painting with glistering dark and light contrast, especially distinct accent shapes of pure white speaks of watercolor, and will most likely give your painting that extra "sparkle" when painting from properly. Of course, a good painter can start with a lot of not so ideal reference photos and get acceptable results, but if same effort is given to start with an excellent photo suited for your media, not only will one feel more inspired, it just helps you to reach a great painting easier. Watercolor, oil and pastel painters do view the world slightly differently through their own medium and if you have painted long enough, it is almost impossible to view an imagery in front of you totally unfiltered through your experience with painting with your particular medium. In one word, you are not the only one feeling that way! We are in good company here with each other ;-)

    I've sang my high praise for this rose on your DPW image so I won't repeat myself here. But you know I love it to my bones. ^___^

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  7. Carrie, your rose is beyond fabulous! It just glows! Stunning. The break from the jars was well worth it!

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  8. I love it, Carrie. Do you mind sharing which colors you used. Thanks from Venice, Florida

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  9. This is so beautiful, Carrie. I love the cropped look and the color is absolutely perfect!! A rose is not the easiest subject...but you did a fantastic job.

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  10. Carrie, yellow is a hard color to paint in any medium, I think! You did a Fabulous job here!

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  11. Thank you everyone, Mary my palette was quinopthalone yellow, isoindoline yellow, quinachridone gold(absolutely must have color) carabazole violet, perinone orange (a fav of mine), undersea green. For this painting I only used Daniel Smith watercolors.

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  12. Carrie, this is a very lovely deviation from the Bell jars. Yellows are NOT easy to shade, and you have done a beautiful job! Kudos to you for doing it in one day!!! ;)

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  13. This is beautiful Carrie! I love the dramatic close up, and I think your yellows are perfectly glowing. :)

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  14. Thanks so much for sharing your watercolor recipe!

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  15. I so enjoyed your post, gorgeous painting and all the comments. Thank you so much for sharing and your honesty. I love hearing heartfelt, honest and interesting views and feelings and the finished painting is beautifully displayed too.

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