Garden Phlox

 

What a gorgeous evening for painting in the garden!  It's been a very busy day of housework, yard work and chores, so getting to enjoy a little beauty with my paints is a treat.  These tall garden phlox have bloomed into November before (in a wet year), and I hope to nurture them through the heat and drought through October.  They could be lovely for our son's wedding here, with plenty of coaxing!  Since they have rallied through the worst of it, I have high hopes for them!  Now,  I'm off to finally clean and reload my oil palette - it is WAY past time, lol! Painting number 3893 in 3893 days. 

Ship on a Shelf

What a fun day this has been!  I have a new handmade watercolor sketchbook with deckled edges - and today is my very first entry!  Using a new tiny pan of watercolor paints (recommended by a friend)  and new watercolor brushpens, I armed myself for a morning of painting inside the Mission Antique Mall.  I've never used any of these supplies, so it was quite an adventure!  I first wandered around for an hour before picking a subject (I was so distracted by the antiques!)  and then, I sketched the ship out with my India ink pen on this fabulous paper.  It took me a minute to realize that I had to actually squeeze the pen before water would come out, and then it was right on to mixing my paints.  I finished this one and sketched out another, but alas it was time for lunch in the cafe - and it was wonderful!   A day well spent!  This painting is the 1400th in 1400 days!  It must be all smooth sailing from here :)

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Tall Ship at Sunset

Tall Ship at Sunset
Watercolor batik on masa, 5x8
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Today I have discovered something new about this masa paper.  I started the same way, with a sketch in india ink, followed by painting the ship and sails in watercolor.  I next brushed hot wax on only these painted parts plus some highlights in the water.  Adding the remaining color to the sky and water, I brushed hot wax over the whole piece.  After carefully crumpling the painting into a ball, and brushing off any wax that crack off, I found the wax cracked and popped off better.  This masa paper has been resistant to the flow of paint until now, as if the wax was just not coming off well enough in the cracks.  The difference?  With our "arctic blast" moving in, it is colder in the house than before.  Thus, the wax reacts so much better!  The watercolor flowed into the cracks more efficiently and spread in a webbing type of motion with little effort.  I have had to work to get this effect before now.  Even at my parent's house in Ohio, I noticed how poorly the wax was behaving - in one instance, it hardly worked at all!  Well, they keep their house considerably warmer than mine ever is.  So, on those days when the temperature is up, I will try popping my painting into the fridge or freezer, to help that wax do it's work.  So rewarding to learn something valuable while painting!  Painting number 682 in 682 days.