Internet Detox – Day One.

So far, so good. I didn\’t spend any time yesterday on the internet. Other than the few moments it took to update my blog. And you know what? I already feel like I am being rewarded for it. During my morning walk with Barley, about 9:30, I saw something I\’ve never seen in person before. A woodpecker. I know it might not be some big huge thing to those who see them all the time, but it was a first for me, so it was special. There it was bouncing up the side of a tree. Even my husband was suitably impressed when I told him that evening!

I also felt something else while I was out walking. Words. They just seemed to be flowing into me, and I can\’t really describe it or even repeat what they were. I just noticed them. That\’s not something I\’ve felt for a while – so I\’ll have to start carrying around a notebook and/or a camera, so I can make a record of the things that I see and the words that I hear.

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So the I guess the big question is what am I doing with all this free time?

I\’m going through a book – I think it might be a little dated now – called “Art School, A Complete Painters Course”

The first chapter is all about Watercolour paints, which is a medium that I\’ve not done all that much with. Like many things, I have a very brief dabble while I was studying my Undergraduate. I\’ve used them to paint a few sections in my Scribble Doodles before, but not done any full paintings with them.

Rain Clouds 1

The first lesson was pretty basic – a monochrome painting using different tones of the same colour. In this case black. Getting used to how the medium overlaps to create depth in a scene. As well as learning a couple of basic techniques; wet on wet, to make softer tones, such as sky. And Wet on dry, to create harder lines. Again, I know this might be common knowledge to all watercolour experts, but I didn\’t have this basic knowledge. It\’s good to know.

Positive outcomes;

• Good washes on sky and foreground
• Decent shapes of tree clumps
• Decent range of tone in places.

Negative outcomes

• Large area of hill that came out looking far, far too dark.
• Still attempting to be to controlled with the shapes – need to loosen up for a free feeling to the paintings.
• Didn\’t seem to do well with the overlapping washes?

I\’d also like to add that this was my first attempt at stretching paper for the purpose of watercolours. When I use acrylic, I paint on canvas, which I prime. So having to stretch paper is also a skill that I am learning and will hopefully get better at the more I do it.