Just A Beginning

I know it's risky, but I've decided to share with you a play-by-play of the developing moth painting (watercolor).  It's risky because I want to avoid this being a demonstration painting, so many of which I've done during my teaching years.  Rather, I want it to guide me to where it wants to go.  Knowing I have an audience could affect that.  So, we'll see if this works.

First phase of watercolor painting--the underpainting

First, after studying the colors in the moth photo and coming up with a selection with which to begin the painting, I realized the palette is what I call the north-south-ease-west palette:  two sets of complementary colors.  If they are plotted opposite each other, a violet and a yellow are set in the north and south position; an orange and a blue are set in the east west position.  It's just an easy way to set up a limited palette with potential for a broad range of colors.  What catches my attention is that this directional palette emerged to do a painting set up according to the celestial navigation principal.  Okay, so I'm getting too involved here.

Perhaps, it's best to stop the chatter and get back to work.

Enjoy this Thursday,
Dianne