Summer Residency: update 02

observations on painting forty days in a row

stages of a squirrel painting for Tepals

hello! another two weeks has gone by since my last update and that means I’ve been painting consistently, everyday for FORTY days. Again, as someone sorta adverse to routines, I’m a bit astounded at how easy its been to commit to painting everyday, even if that’s just 15 minutes (i.e. I’m NOT completing a painting everyday). Some days, all I paint is a wash to set up the background of a new painting, a swatch to test colors, or a gradient because colors are pretty and why not see what they do together. Honestly, these are my favorite things to paint—painting details makes me nervous somewhere in the back of my brain, even when I’m in a flow state.

If I can’t paint in the morning, then I paint in the evening. I definitely notice a difference. In the evening, I’m tired from a full day of using my brain in mundane and irritating ways—I don’t have the same energy to focus on details or think through the order the layers need to happen in or compose a composition.

When I paint in the morning, my whole day is set up to be good. Making art continues to be transformative, in little and big ways—I get a little high just from doing a couple brush strokes (hear that, it doesn’t even matter what I’m painting or what the final paint looks like!). It’s probably why I keep coming back to it. I think I’m getting better (?), as I practice the same techniques of washes, glazes, brush strokes, color mixing, composition, water control, etc. But, even if I’m not improving, I’m having a good time. At this point, here are some things I’ve learned or changes I’ve made to my watercolor set up and practice.

washes, swatches, and my desk

• I started painting with two jars of water. I rolled my eyes at myself when I started doing this because it seems so extra to me. But, you keep one jar of water for mixing colors (i.e. the water should be clear) and the second jar is for washing your brush (i.e. it’s muddy because there’s a bunch of different pigments in this water). Why? Because the muddy water gets on your painting and dulls the colors you’ve mixed &/or painted onto the page.

• I arranged my palette into warm and cool primary colors. Well, I started to—I need to purchase a tube of Hansa Yellow and Alizarian Crimson for my cool palette. Why? Because I had all my blues next to each other and it was hard to tell which one was which. This new arrangement makes it easier for me to remember which blue is where.

• I started mixing my own greens. I considered buying premixed greens, but my typical philosophy is to try to do more with less (i.e. I don’t always want to be buying new stuff). Mixing greens is also made easier by having my palette arranged by warm and cool blues & yellows. And, I really love the green you get from mixing Prussian Blue and Quinacridone Gold.

• For landscapes, I like doing a wash on the whole page. In some tutorials, the instructions have you paint the sky in just the sky area. This results in weird white space between sky and land/water/trees, hard edges of pigment, or translucency. I like just doing an Opera Pink wash across the whole page, because the layers that follow will all be darker and cover the wash or there will be fun areas where that pink will peep through.

I’m starting to work my way through Colors of the West by Molly Hashimoto. She teaches in the PNW, though her classes sell out quickly—but something to consider. I’m also thinking about doing some studies of Georgia O’Keefe (intimidating, but fun—I hope!) and painting mushrooms from An Illustrated Catalog of American Mushrooms (another library discovery!).

MAKING PAINT

in my headphones and mask ready to pummel some ochre

Also, I finally made paint again! I had some pinkish ochre from a hike last summer at Bachelor Mountain that I processed earlier this week. I tried a new recipe for watercolor medium from the PRI resources section. I’d been frustrated with previous efforts as the paint would dry in the pan and either crack or shrink enough to fall out. Essentially, I didn’t add water on its own to the mulling process, only the watercolor medium. It was quiet hard to mull and I did so for 20 minutes and saw the transformation of the paint from dull frosting to shiny paint. I love the color and characteristics of the final paint! I’ll be curious to see how this new recipe does with lakes.

UPDATES

In other updates, I’ve finished my essay for Provecho! Its over 2,000 words (I’m not a long-form writer, at least not yet!) and about my halmoni, lessons she’s taught me, and the development of my own son-mat (Korean word meaning hand-taste; an approach to cooking). It’ll be available in print this fall.

I’m also working on 20-ish small paintings that will be available for purchase at the Bend 20 Dollar Art Show this October 10th through 27th! I’m excited to be a part of this show, as I don’t think I’ve been in an art show ever as an adult human. I’m really looking forward to meeting the other artists and seeing everyones’ work 💕

I’m still teaching sewing at DIYCave and had a fun summer working with Fashion Workshop at their Redmond & Bend Library Sewcials (Bend’s is next week on Wednesday 7/15 at 5:30P) and the Bend Block Party.

Also, Reed and I went to our one annual show at the ampitheater and saw a pretty amazing line up of Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples, & Rhiannon Gideon (look at her amazing skirt!!).