Waiting for me to return

Sometimes the business of art gets in the way of making art. I began these two paintings last week at the Angel Fire Visitor's Center and nothing much has been done since on them due to that business. I did work on the little one on the left before I was totally diverted. I hated the sky I had done. That happens sometimes too. Artist do make mistakes from time to time.

I thought of just tossing the little chapel but then it also looked like a great opportunity to experiment - paint outside the box - as it were. So I scrubbed off the blue and pink sky I had put in which, in spite of advertising about watercolor canvas being "liftable", still leaves a residue of color - especially blue. The sky was clearly going to have to be darker. Water media does not cover over like acrylic or oil. A dark blue night sky would certainly be possible but I decided to try a red sky in route as it were. It is turning out to be a rather happy side trip made all the more interesting because of the transparency of watercolor allowing the remains of the blue on the canvas to add modulation to the sky.

At that point business interrupted. And life with snow storms and all the shoveling out required. I was anxious once the driveway was clear to get back to painting but now instead my studio time will be about framing several pieces. Friday afternoon when I am again back at the visitor's center as resident artist I will work more on these two paintings. But already I would like to begin a canyon piece with a red sky.