Getting enough knowledge

There is always something new to learn about watercolours. Different brands and types of papers behave differently, each colour acts differently and the discovery of new color combinations never stops. Sometimes its frustrating to love something, but not necessarily know everything about it? But most of the time, that's part of the enjoyment of watercolours.

A few months ago, I purchased some extra large watercolour sheets of paper to allow me to paint larger paintings. The paper is from the same manufacturer of paper that I normally use.  You might expect the extra large paper to behave in the same manner as the regular sized sheets, however, it did not.  It's going to be an adventure to paint larger paintings since the paint doesn't lift as well.

Recently, I used one of the larger sheets to paint butterflies.  This is the largest watercolour I've ever painted.

Did you know that butterflies are one of the most popular insects. In the past decade, the monarch butterfly has gained attention because of its dwindling populations. Monarch population declines are largely the result of habitat destruction and climate change. I have been noticing fewer of them in my garden in past years. Therefore, I leave some weeds that are part of their natural habitat, grow in my garden.

The painting above is a symbol of my interest in the impact the butterfly loss is having on us.

Have a great week,

Danielle