Watercolors Rescued… from the bin
A moment of despair. It didn’t go as planned. The result was not what was expected, wanted, desired.
And so, it was crumpled. Torn. Thrown away. Discarded.
How many times, how many ways, how many things does this relate to? I wonder.
We often panic too soon it seems.
Rescuing a palette knife painting from out of the bin (mine)
Rescues
Both of these images were “rescues.”
One was from a student below, and one was mine.
Both show evidence of impatience, of frustration, with damage done to the papers.
The damage…. we can view as being like scars upon the landscape of the painting.
Without such scars, without the etched in grooves and lines and evidence of its character layered deep…. we might, merely skim along the surface shallows.
Precision. Perfection.
Doesn’t quite have… the richness, the elegance, the depth of character that time, weather, and those storms have created.
In other words, the compulsion…. to Get It Right, should be a low priority and the higher priority should be on Expression.
ie…
How does it feel, to be in the moment, creating this?
Did you enjoy the moment? Were you ‘in the creative zone’?
Did you express your own interpretation of the mood, the feeling, emotion of the subject?
Those, take precedence.
another rescue- student’s work
The wrinkles and crumples (from the unhappy creator) do not concern me. I like them.
It is a wonderful technique, creative and fun, to crumple your watercolor paper before you begin!
Smooth it out best you can, and carry on with painting. Try it, and see.
This abstract image, I rescued is filled with lively, loveliness of color.
Such luminosity and movement. Such spirited transitions of tone, textures.
I could not, allow this to remain in the bin. It needed, saving.
And, that hint of cobalt teal blue along the bottom edge made sure that this watercolor ink piece was rescued!
Yes… I suppose that Sometimes, a piece truly needs to be retired to the bin.
But not nearly as often as many of us opt to do as first response.
So many of these pieces can be wonderful Rescues.
Not throw aways.
I need to alter my pattern of thinking: to believe I can find ways, of making use of products, images, and things.
To be less hasty in ‘simply discarding’ anything that is frustrating and disagrees. That doesn’t work or fit into my mental vision planned.
Partner Posts
Wabi Sabi the art of Zen! look for all 7, its a great series
Palette Knife creative Abstract technique