Hey, beach lovers (which means almost everyone, right?),
Yesterday, I finished another watercolor using a very limited color palette. I’m having so much fun with this! There are only three colors plus black in this piece: warm blue, burnt sienna, and warm yellow. For this painting, I used Winsor & Newton professional watercolors in the tubes. I like Winsor & Newton for my larger works that have a more solid feel. I use Rembrandt watercolors for smaller pieces and for ”loose” watercolors because they are more transparent, and it's easier to make highlights using subtractive techniques like scrubber brushes and sponges.
I used a photo I took with my iPhone 8 as reference:
I adore the tiny, colorful Coquina clams that show themselves as each wave recedes. Coquina clams are important bivalve filter-feeders—they clean the water as they filter out the nutrients they need. These salt-water clams are edible but rarely get bigger than an inch long, with most of them measuring a half inch In length. Can you imagine how many it would take for even a snack? Here’s a picture of a plateful—better left to the water birds and crabs, I think.
I’m a super messy painter, so I paint in my garage, where I can splatter paint and stack art supplies everywhere without worry. It’s a great space for being madly creative. I can put on my music or a podcast and get lost in the zone. It’s one of my favorite places to be.
This piece is painted on a 1.5” deep Ampersand Aquabord—it's the first time I’ve tried this product. I'll write up my experience with this product in a later post.
You can add “Tiny Coquina” to your collection for $349. This 8x10 painting is finished with six layers of UV-protectant, archival spray varnish for a glass-free, glare-free presentation. Always hang original artwork out of direct sunlight, or install UV film to windows to protect valuables from fading. The wide edges of the wood panel allow for shelf display, but I've also installed hanging hardware and felt pads to protect your walls.
I left the sides of this cradled wood panel unpainted--I sealed the pretty grain with a clear gel. I think it looks nice this way, and blends well with the tones in the sand. Please message me to check on availability. If you join my Facebook group,
Comments