The Sea and its aqua tinted beaches, is a place of inspiration for most of us. And whether we are physically there or not, we can enjoy the sense of ‘being’ there.
We can go beyond the limitations of having to actually be somewhere to reap the benefits.
from The Sea, watercolors and Beyond
The Sea
From the beaches south, down near Albany, Western Australia.
The sea colors are magical.
The red orange terracotta boulders give it warmth and life.
The buff titanium sands shimmer in the sunlight.
I adore this place, this photo.
I ‘feel’ it, every time. I’m re-Inspired by its memory every time I look at it.
What’s not to love?… and how could it not be etched into my memory?
I was there for awhile. Taking it all in. Taking hundreds of snippets and snapshots.
Becoming immersed.
So even if, I lost the photos, even if I no longer had tangible references to look at my mind … remembers.
All the feelings.
The colors. The wind. The textures. The sand shimmering and the sun sparking on the water.
Watercolors of the Sea
It is all those things, that is what I most need in order to convey the feeling of the Sea to Watercolors.
Thats all I need, to communicate the message I felt while walking along the shores and climbing the dunes and rocks.
Its about…. feeling.
Not documenting or recording detail.
Its about the Heart of the place for me.
Not dotting the i nor crossing the t.
Beyond
We can travel in our minds, or perhaps through past memories of the location.
We can travel using our wonderful imaginations and yes, we’re still getting the benefits of the journey.
Of being inspired.
Its true too, I believe that as we watch the news, television, or read travel magazines, look at Pinterest travel shots, and of course Google …. we can become enthused.
Eager and keen to create, to communicate that feeling of joy or relaxation we may have felt as we looked at a place.
I’ve mentioned before, I’m a firm believer in painting plein air.
Nothing can convey the spirit, the essence of that place and your joy, like this approach.
However, not all of us, are able to hike up into the high Rockies. I certainly am not able.
Nor drive to the eastern seaboard to paint along the stunning autumn colored shores of Maine.
Let alone fly to Australia to paint the colors of the The Indian Ocean, or the Great Barrier Reef.
We do have finite resources and limitations at times.
I think if, I fell in love with a location I could never go to but was compelled to paint – I’d research it.
I’d study up and learn all I could about the location and its history, culture, people.
In this way, there would be some, sense of connection that transferred over into the painting as I worked.
Watercolor art
Wild and so unruly.
The Sea Foam photograph below the watercolor, proves to be a great inspirational resource.
Something to refer to.
To look at the warm rocks, and the white foam as it swirls in intriguing patterns.
To note the deep dark patch of blue, then see how it fades into paler softer blues.
To figure out ways, we might choose to do some of those things in watercolor…. in a creatively similar fashion.
Finally
As artists what we do is important.
We travel and journey.
We see.
We feel.
We communicate to others the wonderment of what we felt as we paused and ‘saw.’
It is a fascinating way to create.
Its personal.
The artist reveals his soul in his art, in this fashion.
To interpret the scene in its complexities of feeling, emotive qualities.
This is something we all too often, forget to do in our bid to ensure the details are just right.
Remember…. if we get the feeling right, hardly anyone is going to care about some minor details!
watercolor students – sea inspired
from the sea, inspirations to get ideas from…. and go Beyond!
Take your images, your inspirations and memories from the sea … and then, go Beyond!
I created a random design, using a discarded cereal box to cut shapes from.
Then … I thought I’d try to be clever. Tricky. Try something new.
Instead of doing the normal thing, I chose to try a new path. I used small foam sticky pads to adhere those shapes to my base plate.
You never know. Until you try.
Collagraph Print
It didn’t work properly.
It would’ve been better had I used my regular glue ie (acrylic matte medium) to glue the cut cardboard shapes onto the base plate.
The Problem:
The sticky foam pads, allowed the cut out shapes to fall and sink unevenly. Which meant that the ink being rolled on the plate from the brayer, wouldn’t be level and smooth. The ink would be a hit and miss affair…….oh dear.
Oh well.
Too late. I needed to try, to make it work.
I was in class, it was a demo for Atwell Gallery class.
What. do you do?
You get on with it.
collagraph from cereal box cut outs
Printing Processes
I gave up trying to continue on with the normal hand printing process with barren and wooden spoon to get the ink onto the paper.
The shapes were too uneven and the ink wasn’t ‘catching.’ Wasn’t getting onto the paper.
I used Masa paper a very versatile paper great for lots of media. And my hand, mainly my thumb to press the ink onto the paper from the shapes.
This last print, I think is rather nice. Not as solid dark as the others, it has more feeling in it.
There is some lovely texture, tonal variations.
It seems to have a mood to it.
The other collograph I constructed not using the foam tabs, was a much better plate.
It provided a far superior printing experience that I let a student borrow for class.
Still, I do enjoy this one featured.
It was a challenge.
Its kind of cool.
Materials
I used a wonderful ink, not available now.
A professional grade, gorgeous velvety black Daniel Smith oil based printing ink.
I had some saved from about 15 years ago.
It Still, is still great to use.
It rolls out perfectly. Even after all these years.
In class I demonstrated soaking a variety of good printmaking papers, including Rives.
This process worked out nicely. whew.
I love doing this, with the oil ink and using better quality print papers which provides such a beautiful professional finish for even beginners.
Spendy… but hey, once in awhile its a fabulous pleasure. And, bear in mind, it can last decades.
Learning Points
experiments, may not go the way you expect
stay cool
back up plans, creative thinking go a long way to making even those work out ok
buying good quality materials, though more money, usually proves to be more cost effective in the long run
The word, “Summer” conjures up a myriad of thoughts, ideas, feelings.
Fun.
Summer Days
“Summer”
It might evoke thoughts of ……
By gone days.
Picnics in the past, spent under a shady tree while the warm breeze rustles the sun dappled leaves. Or in the cool peaceful breeze of the patio.
For the under 20’s perhaps Summer brings the more ‘urgent and now’ feelings of where to go, Right Now!
Perhaps water skiing around a 15 mile island in the bracing waters off the Canadian shores,
or for some the challenge of hiking in the Cascades or Rockies is a great Summer pastime.
But if you’re in the midst of winter, as we are in the Southern Hemisphere, then Summer might just be a tantalizing lure.
As artists, to paint Summer scenes with authenticity, we need to fully immerse ourselves in that place. To be in that moment. So that the viewer, might also feel the Summer warmth shine upon them as well.
For the beginner watercolorist, it can be, all very overwhelming to try to remember it all!
You don’t have to.
Painting Water
My thoughts on painting water.
Keep it super simple.
For Beginners: Short easy sessions, that you focus on just one technique at a time are the key.
Just one process you want to get down.
Not the whole shebang at once.
You can have a lot of fun, keeping it simple, learning to paint water.
Impressionist Approach
Keep it nice and loose.
Carefree. Fun.
In an Impressionist’s approach.
Impressionist Moods of Water
Its really about Your impression of the subject you paint.
Its more about how you are feeling about the subject that makes the difference.
Its how you personally are interpreting it, what dialogue you have between the two of you… that counts most.
Just let us know, show us.
paint emotion
Sometimes the water appears bright and tropical, fun and summery. Light and easy.
So. Paint it that way.
Utilise white sparkles of the paper shining through, to accent and highlight this point.
Don’t allow it or yourself, to get all bogged down and tight; the work filled with hard edges won’t capture the fun loose and carefree vibe.
Sometimes the water appears dark. Choppy. Moody and Sullen.
Well, paint that feeling! cool, stormy colors with short choppy strokes will evoke this sensation.
practice…water techniques
Leaving white of the paper is a big help.
Painting a few squiggled lines for ‘ripples’ is another fast and simple method that works quite well many times.
Graded washes, light -mid – dark tones in your water, is another key factor to remember.
The other thing to remember about water, is that the farther away it is – white waves will be ‘greyed off’ not stark white, and the less detail, the less color intensity, the less contrast, the less strong dark deep tones it will have.
That right there, is worth jotting down!
water techniques
Beginners Watercolors
Beginners at watercolor, may find it useful and easier, to begin with simpler designs.
Simple basic easy shapes.
Starting right at the beginning.
Nothing too complicated or complex, no matter how much our minds are leaping to do so.
I know.
We are yearning to…. paint that busy harbour scene filled with action.
Boats, sailors, shipping lines, cargo carriers, seagulls in flight, reflections shimmering, sailboats flying in the wind.
But, I have discovered, small steps.
One thing at a time, works.
Sinks in.
So that week by week, month by month we do see incremental improvements.
Then, we can paint the more involved scene.
Such as the shadowed fir trees reflected in the misty early morning waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Observing how water can be painted using watercolors.
Painting Water
In the samples shown, I’ve created the impression, the illusion of water on paper.
Cobalt teal blue in watercolor helps, of course.
But, so does understanding the tones, the feeling, mood, and which of the common techniques to use.
Techniques for painting water: watercolors
We learn as we go.
Practice… repetition until a technique process becomes second nature, was the secret key to my own improvement.
Using dry brush, washes, charging, splatter, leaving White of the paper… they all combine to help with the illusion.
In the first demo, you see a background a mid ground and foreground, along with a focal point. These help guide the viewer and make the image understandable.
Whereas in the second demo, a mere wash of a couple colors, we must engage more. There is still enough information, but its less tight and structured.
More free flowing and carefree. Perhaps, in holiday mode! But you will observe more warmth in front, the White cresting wave in nearby, and there isn’t much action in the back.
Our minds, have decided yes, it is water we are looking at. And, Most likely, the beach.
debi riley 
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