Blossoms Squared

Original Sold

Two of the ladies in my Tuesday painting group were inspired to paint a palette like the piece I call “Full Spectrum” I painted years ago. It’s a chart of 22 colors down the left and across the top with each color mixed with all the others in the middle.

I was sruck by two things out of this: one, how much fun they were having painting (sometimes making this art requires such intense focus and concentration that it’s not easy!) and that I remembered having the thought back then that I’d like to do something else with painting squares.

Then it came to me that I could paint one of my reference photos one square at a time. Instead of a contour drawing of the image, I superimposed a grid on the image in Photoshop and drew lines on the watercolor paper. Each square is a small absract painting.

At first it was totally thrilling! I loved the shapes and colors. But that left-brain of mine really is tenacious! It wants to get in there and make something of the art. Painting one square at at time is a huge lesson in patience.

I think the result is interesting and the exploration was worthwhile. Also, since I painted each square wet (for the most part) it was incredible practice at working with the paint and water – which I can always learn more about. Six of the painters in the Tuesday group then jumped in and painted a piece square by square. They each said they leaarned so much – about really seeing what they’re painting, about working wetter and softer, about the abstract quality of all painting.

This image came from my neighbor Megan and Jeff’s crabapple tree one spring. “Blossoms Squared.”

29″x21″ – May 2012 – Watercolor on paper