30 in 30 - Day Two

Day Two

9" x 12"  -  watercolour & acrylic on archival watercolour paper - $30

In thinking about today's painting for the 30 paintings in 30 day challenge, I thought that one of the abstracted figure drawings that I did in an open studio class a few years ago might provide possible inspiration. 

I started painting the shapes with water colour, trying to create a strong contrasting value pattern. As more of the figure was completed I liked the result less and less. Out came the acrylic paint in order to get rid of those fussy little paint by number shapes I had worked so hard to fill in. I also eliminated colours, toned down others, and darkened the overall palette. I still wasn't exactly thrilled, but I did like those 3 graphic shapes up in the top left corner - they reminded me of letters and signage. The next and final step was somewhat accidental - smudging some of those brush strokes outside the lines, which (in confession) I did in frustration. However, I lost of liked the effect and decided to leave the work alone for a few hours.  When I came back to it later in the day, I still quite liked the contrast between the controlled shapes of colour with their hard line edges and the mushy messy colour areas. I really like the graphic-poster quality of the work, and the fact that I did something different.  Day Two is done - yeah!