#85 Fox Theater: 3

WORKED all day Saturday (top) and all day Sunday (bottom). I actually finished Monday morning. And by "all day" I mean get to the studio at 11am, break for lunch, go home to let the dogs out, break for a long dinner, back to the studio until 8.

#85 Fox Theater: 2

I GET TO the studio Friday morning. Redraw AGAIN onto the watercolor board (Crescent Illustration Board) but I can't start painting. To avoid work I go to Facebook, post on my daughter's wall:

Me: Where are you when I need you? I have to finish a large watercolor by Monday- I've thrown 2 tries away and I CAN'T START on the 3rd. (I'm on FB again to procrastinate.)

Kelty: I wish I was there to motivate you instead of at work! Lol believe me. If it helps, I have never seen one of your "tries" that wasn't also exceptional. Just go for it you talented lady!

Me: I always remember when I couldn't paint the lion's eyes and you handed me a brush, gave me that "I know best" look of yours, and told me to "just do it". I've used that a hundred times. 

SO QUIT whining and use it now. Back to work. OK. I don't like how the board accepts my watercolor paints, but when I use Nova Color acrylics watered down, it bleeds like a dream. I start with the sky and by the end of the day the tree's first lay-in is finished.

HOME to the dogs and a movie...

#85 Fox Theater

18x24 image for watercolor

I STARTED this on Wednesday- drove to Visalia, about 30 miles away, and took about 250 photos, trying to get the Fox theater and Little Italy restaurant in one image. I thought I was doing an acrylic with the black lines, then found out my client decided on a watercolor.  OK- where's that last sheet of 140 lb. watercolor paper. Here it is. My paints are in pretty good shape, I might need some green. I'll manage.

I ADDED agapanthus flowers in bloom to the photo, along with daylilies and geraniums.

USING A LIGHT TABLE, I traced the picture onto my watercolor paper. I'm always a little nervous when starting a watercolor – I paint in acrylic more often. And I'm a messy artist, so I have to be really careful of dirt on T-squares, drips etc. I don't think of those things when I paint in acrylic.

I'm pretty happy- going home to the dogs and a movie...

DAY 2, Thursday: I paint the sky and tree. NOT HAPPY. I made the tree too dark, so now the top half is way too heavy. Relax – I can fix it... going home to the dogs and a movie...

BUT HOW am I going to fix it...

Feed the dogs, play with the cats, dang – I have to finish this painting by Monday...

It'll wait till morning...

Dang it– no it won't. So I drive back to the studio to assess the situation. Fixable? No, not really. OK, let's start over. I'm out of paper! Wait- I have that large paper I never use- 300 lb, it'll work. So I cut it down, redraw picture, start to paint the sky, and realize why I never use that paper... I HATE it! I Facebook to local artists in town for help on paper, home to the dogs again...

I WAKE UP in the middle of the night remembering I have an extra of that wonderful watercolor board I had ordered for a large painting, and that it accepts my Nova Color acrylic paint like the dreamiest watercolor paint...

I SHOULD go back to sleep- it's only 2:00 am – too early to go back to the studio...

Ethan and Family 5: Finish