What is it about the cool and gray days of autumn that makes us want to curl up and take a nap? I swear many of us become part bear at this time of year. Of course looking at a pile of sleeping cats doesn't really help. They are good nappers! If you ever want to watch a nap pro in action-get a cat!
I find candle light especially cheery at this time of year. For very little money and effort I can bring a warming bit of sunshine into my home. It is fun to hunt out a candle that has a relaxing or spicy scent to fill the air.
What does all this have to do with art you might ask? Well, many of us are influenced by our surroundings and by the season. It seeps into our art work. Because of that, our surroundings can hinder or support our desire to create. Making sure that we are well rested and surrounded by colors, sights, scents and music that nourish us is key.
I took some time to redecorate and surround myself with warm, rich and dark colors to inspire me. Some how all my bright summer colors no longer resonated with me. So out they went! And in came...
Chloe tests out the new decor.
And another chair...
I also brought out this cute, vintage embroidery which makes me smile, and placed it on my fireplace mantle.
Inspired by my new fall decor I went looking through my photos for autumn images. When I found this tableau, I decided to paint it with my watercolors.
The first round. I liked it. But it didn't feel finished. So I left it for awhile.
When I came back I decided to add some texture with an ink pen. I like the contrast of the scribbly small lines against the loose patches of watercolor. I also added more spots and textures with colored pencil.
I was pleased with it but decided to add more-just to see what would happen. I went in and added washes of ultramarine blue to the shadow areas to add more "punch". We often reach the point in our work where we think, "well that is looking pretty good. I wonder if I could make it even better by adding more, or if I should leave well enough alone?" When I'm not super attached to a piece, I like to keep going. My goal here was to learn-not to produce the perfect painting. Aiming for a perfect piece can really suffocate the creative flow-tightening control when loosening up may lead us to a great discovery.
We will be using these techniques in my upcoming watercolor workshop: Celebrating Autumn, October 15th. Other upcoming workshops are: Journaling Into Fall, Oct. 8th, Juicy Watercolor Textures, Oct. 9th, and Beginning Beaded Jewels, Oct. 16th. If you live in or near Seattle, WA. I'd love to have you join us!
Wishing you a fun and cozy October!
