I've Always Wanted to Try This ...

Julian, as Romeo

Paulina, as the Mona Lisa
 

My sketch of Majesty, the rescue horse

Some color swatches, to see how they mix on the paper, and how well they lift

More swatches, and my basic animal color mixture - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone blue.


I've always admired and been tantalized by the lifting technique used so beautifully by Roland Roycroft and Cheng Khee Chee. It involves saturating the paper, applying your pure colors and letting them blend on the paper, and then lifting as it dries and after the paint has dried. This method gives such a gorgeous glow and cohesion to  the painting. I've never really felt I could handle it, but I think the time is now, and the painting of Majesty demands its use. I'd like to have his head and neck finding its way out of the dark, just as he himself was found and rescued. Wish me luck!
I also have the sketches of my niece and nephew ready on watercolor paper. These are more "fun" paintings [I say that now ...]
As always, I love to get your comments!

  

NOT the Christmas Goose ...

Just a few sketches I'm playing with while the painting composition percolates in my head. I am really keen to do something, or several somethings, with geese.

Just a Quickie ...

   A friend was over yesterday, showing photos of his recent tour in India. He works as a tour guide all over the world; next week he's off to Greece ... lucky hot-dog! His Indian pictures were fabulous, almost a visual overload; I can't imagine what it would be to experience the country for real. There were some very good shots of the most intriguing-looking people - you could see the strength in their faces, and the pain and joy in their eyes. I was quite taken by the photo at top, and have done a quick sketch. I think I'll try a painting of her as well.