Sunday-8am

My free bottle of WN medium for watercolors arrived yesterday! For buying the watercolor set of tubes I got to pick a free medium. I thought I'd try Iridescent and add some sparkle to my watercolors one day. I've already heard that you should use separate brushes because you never get all the sparkle out of them--hehe! Heard that discussed in the Everyday Matters group. Oh--the things you can learn online, eh? :)

The last picture went into my recycling bin. Started a new one--and cleaned off the palette--hehe!
At the end of my session yesterday I switched over to Chinese brushes. I'd been using western watercolor brushes on these because they are drawn on western watercolor paper. Since I recently switched over to the Chinese watercolors, I guess I certainly could use the Chinese brushes--duh!
I know using western watercolor paper isn't teaching me how the Chinese brush and rice paper work and dance together--but it still gives me some experience with the brushes. They really do seem to hold more liquid in the belly of the brush. I am learning how to drain some of that liquid from the body of the brush by touching it on a paper towel first--and about reloading the tip. Hints I have learned in the CBP group and on YouTube videos. Interesting and challenging for me. :)


I'm honestly less concerned with if the paintings turn out right now than in learning about the paint and the brushes. I took a 140 lb. watercolor tablet I bought on sale and filled it with tracings of these pictures I found on the web. Very cheap way to learn on my own, right? Back when I traced all of these I had very limited experience with western watercolors, had no Chinese brush painting supplies, and had not found the CBP group on Yahoo or even YouTube, for that matter. I just figured if I kept trying over and over again--even if they all ended up in my recycle bin (for making handmade paper) I would have learned something by the time I was done, right? If any of them turned out decently (a few already have!)--more the better, right?

That was my plan and I'm sticking to it--ROFL!!


Don't worry that it bothers me one iota to put most of these paintings in the recycle bin. I am delighted and amazed when they don't end up there--hehe! I have not put any expectations onto myself--my abilities or my personal learning curve.


I used to stress over the perfection of each project--so this is an exceptionally freeing experience for me. A wonderful lesson for my soul! And I have barely touched my toe in the water when it comes to the spontaneous style of Chinese brush painting. Whew! Talk about loosening me up!!


Baby steps. Baby steps. :):)


No rain yesterday! But very hot--mid 80's I saw once. (Didn't watch the weather on the news.) I was painting inside with the AC on--hehe! Watched The Golden Compass movie again. Puttered about and played with Karma.


One of the things I do--fling her string toy under the dresser--snug up the string--and don't move. She comes and sits there--waiting and twitching most expectantly. Occasionally I tug it forward like a quarter of an inch or even just tighten the string up--just to watch her entire body jerk forward and back at that same moment. Silly--I know. Makes me laugh.
And endlessly fascinates Miss Karma. Talk about cheap entertainment, eh? ROFL!!


Today--laundry. :):)