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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Day Pretties

Watercolor, Ink and Stamps
3.5 x 8.5 inches
Handbook Watercolor
Sketchbook
Have you ever created a page and it seemed lacking, like something was missing? Maybe it didn't have the oomph you thought it would have or it just looked unfinished?

This page was suppose to sizzle with all that fun, bold yellow pigment, but when I finished (before I added any background) it just didn't have it.

The most obvious fix seemed to be to add a background, but what? I had just created a page with amaryllis (here) and used text as the background and I didn't want to repeat myself. I let the sketchbook sit open on my desk so that I could see it each time I walked by.

Finally, I decided to go with stripes to help emphasis the long stems. As Kate says, "meh." I didn't much like the stripes. So out came the black pen and then I added black stripes. Still didn't like it.

Leaving the book open and continuing to study it, I had about decided it was going to have to live as it was. A little later, I was prowling around in my study on the hunt for an unrelated item when I stumbled across some stamps......and a light bulb came on.

I retrieved my sketchbook and went to work. I used tracing paper as a "shield" and stamped the background. In a few places, I drew in the stamp shape rather than try to cut a shield.

There are things I will do differently next time, but I really had fun with the process and evolution of this piece. Sometimes, we have to get outside of "normal" solutions and reach for something new to make a page successful!

9 comments:

  1. Fantastic! It is fun and joyful - Again the journey was well worth the final destination :)

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  2. I wondered how you did the stamps after painting the lily! This is a wonderful post, and another example of an evolving page. I think those are my favorite kinds...thank you, Laure! Pam's right, it's joyful...

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  3. It's wonderful! Full of life and color! And so is the beautiful amaryllis!

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  4. Kate, most of my pages are "evolving" in one way or another. Some for better, some not!

    Thanks, Ellen!

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  5. Perfect solution! I often do my best thinking over time...

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  6. I see you took Kate up on her asking you to post here. Good for you!

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  7. Sometimes, patience pays off, Mistress! I just have to relearn that lesson on a regular basis.

    Yes, Timaree, Ms. Kate's very persuasive! ;•)

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  8. And expanded on it as well! Thank you. I know we all have a lot of irons in our particular fires, but when I see something I know would be perfect here--or on Sketching in Nature, our other group blog--I'm happy to wheedle a bit!

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