Lemons Revisited

…again and again!

A couple of days after my painting session with Ann, she sent me the following message:

"…only if you want to or feel like doing this:
Select a small plant or group of plants outside or an interior still life of one or more objects like fruit or veges. A simple pomegranate on a plate is great!"

After some thought, I took my bowl of lemons (Feb.21st) outside and put it on the table under some bamboo. I didn't achieve the translucent look that I admire in watercolors, but at least I got the paint on the paper a bit more successfully than my first effort. Clearly, more lessons and much practice are called for.

When I joined Blipfoto in June, 2012, I remember feeling and writing about what I called "Blipfoto Eyes". I was walking around familiar places, but seeing things through a different lens. Or perhaps just noticing things that I had been seeing for years. This phenomenon has multiplied now that I am looking at my surroundings with "Watercolor Eyes".

The challenges of translating something into the right brush, the right colors of paint, the right amount of water sometimes have me rooted to the spot, staring at a drooping branch. Painting lacks the spontaneity of photography. Planning is required. Although I have a toolbox for my supplies, it can't be whipped out at the drop of a hat like my little Leica can. One must have the water, the paints, the brushes, toilet paper (yes, toilet paper is perfect for absorbing the big blobs of paint that I accidentally drip all over) and something to sit on. Once a site has been chosen and all the right supplies have been assembled, however, painting can be rewardingly absorbing and peaceful.

For today anyway, I'll just combine the two by documenting my very amateur and incomplete first effort.