Fall colours – it’s not what you are expecting

At a recent art show, a friend and I were observing a beautiful watercolor painting. "Look," she said to me, "it only took a few minutes for the artist to create this piece, so why does it cost so much"? "You are right," I replied. It may have taken only a few minutes, but it took years of practice to develop the skills to create this piece. The more effortless it looks, the more hard work is behind it. Isn’t that the case with many skills, such as the pirouette of a ballerina or a high jumper clearing a height that we would not have imagined. When they perform their skills, they make it look so easy and effortless, yet we know there are years of experience behind them. A painter is no different.

What I appreciate and respect most about watercolour paintings is how some appear to have been created without effort. As a watercolorist, I notice the brushstroke and if the artist has had to go back to adjust anything, I appreciate beautiful layers of paints one over the other to give the viewer luminous paintings, I appreciate the suggestions that the painter has provided, etc.

New painting
A few weeks ago, I was in the market in Ottawa. All around me were amazing colours. I quickly pulled out by blackberry since I didn’t have my camera and took a few photos. The colored Indian corn ears that are part of the autumn harvest were of particular interest to me. As soon as I saw a wooden box full of them, I knew I had to paint them.

 

Although this painting is only 10” X 12”, I spent countless hours on it in the past 2 weeks. I rarely paint anything with so much repeated details. Given the investment in time, I was nervous that the end product would not be attractive and reflective of the level of effort I dedicated to this. You be the judge if my time was well spent.

Danielle