Awakening

 

Copy of Rick Surowicz demo
10" x 14" watercolor
Arches 100% cotton cold press paper

Finally, I think I'm getting something about watercolors that instructors have been saying but I wasn't hearing, for some reason. 

This week in my online class with Rick Surowicz, he talked about the importance of monitoring the pigment levels in our paint applications. "Too much pigment lessens the luminosity," he said, explaining that too much pigment doesn't allow the paper to bounce light back to the viewer, which is the special quality of watercolor painting. "Don't use the paint like tempora," he warned.

I believe that's exactly what I've been doing these past ten years with watercolor (check out my last painting, for instance). Not always, but much of the time. 

And it's a tough habit to break. Even so, I think I made considerable progress here. It's still a little heavy-handed, but I am hoping I am finally beginning to understand how to retain more luminosity with my paintings. 

As my caption says above, this painting is an imitation of a painting by Surowicz. I would never give it to someone or sell it, but I may frame it for myself to commemorate this important breakthrough. 

Sometimes these breakthroughs last and sometimes they don't. I sure hope this one does.