color inspo and swatching

every painting starts with an idea. inspired by nature, a vibrant color I saw in a subway mosaic, an idea for a painting can come from any and everywhere.

I like to photograph exactly what has inspired me, and then keep an eye out for where else that hue may show itself to me. it is like a scavenger hunt, keeping me present in my day to day.

once i've gained enough courage to make my idea into something tangible, I like to color swatch based on all the photographs I've taken. I wet my watercolors and get to mixing, attempting to match the images and iterating on colors to get the shades I am looking for. 

I use to skip this step, jumping right in to the painting and getting frustrated when the outcome wasn't what I wanted. I've learned to collect, plan and then trust the process.

after swatches are set, I have to work pretty quickly. since I paint wet on wet, and the salt reacts best to fresh, rich pigment. I typically lay down a light sketch or outline, but leave masking fluid for more intricate projects. 

watercolor isn't easy - and I am still learning how to make it do what I want when I want - but the outcomes are too beautiful to give up on!

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