For months my students have wanted to paint flowers and I have been putting them off.
The desire to paint flowers has not been one of my consuming passions.
But this past January, I researched and selected a book for us to use, Exploring Watercolor by Elizabeth Groves. Demonstrations of flowers abound depicted in traditional and experimental approaches.
My first learning experience came on February 14th when I had chosen stargazer lilies as the subject for our class. Area florists looked at me like I was from Mars when I stood before them on Feb. 13, possibly one of their busiest days of the year, wanting a dozen stargazers.
I know, poor planning on my part, not to mention what it cost me. And we won’t talk about the little darlings not opening in time for class although I followed the directions of putting them in warm water and praying over them.
This month I chose daffodils. They are currently blooming and free for the picking. One of my students has acres of them and offered to bring bunches to class. But daffodils, as plentiful and cost effective as they are, presented another obstacle; the challenge of painting yellow with pleasing shading and shadows. Guess what I’ve been working on the last few weeks?
I referred back to previous daffodils I had rendered and they all looked so picture perfect. This time I wanted something with a little more mood but the pendulum swung too far the other way and I got a little heavy handed with a too dark background. I went to bed feeling discouraged. But the next morning I awoke with a possible solution and could hardly wait to try it.
Maybe all was not lost?
Watercolor has the reputation of not being able to be corrected.
Once it’s down, you’re stuck with it. Sometimes that’s the case and sometimes it’s not.
In this case, I was able to significantly alter the painting. I liked it much better. But felt my compass was off.
I had spent most of the previous evening agonizing over it and had lost my objectivity.
What to do? Get a second opinion. Show it to Rob.
“I like it, honey.”
I watched him closely, looking for any tell-tell signs of sugarcoating.
“Really? I could name it Dazzling Daffodils?”
“Well, no. I wasn’t thinking that.”
My heart plummeted. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s a little melancholy, a little ominous.”
“What is this gloom and doom that keeps coming out in my paintings?” I wailed.
“But the daffodils are shining through,” he said. “Overcoming.”
We both stared at the painting as if waiting for it to speak.
“How about Trumpets of Hope?” he said.
The class went well and one of my students so identified with “Trumpets Of Hope” she asked to purchase it.
My secret weapons to help me through difficult paintings and difficult times? A water mister and an insightful husband. Enjoy the journey.
Keep your face to the sun and you cannot see the shadows.
–Helen Keller
June Rollins
Visit June's website to view her art gallery at www.artbyjune.net
Join June on her blog at: www.junerollins.wordpress.com
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