Fun with Sedimentary Colors

Tuesday September 29 2015

Fun trying new color technique.

I love heading in a new direction once in a while. Several years ago I struggled with coming up with muddy colors in watercolors. I found much of the problem was found in using what is called sedimentary and opaque colors.

My limited understanding of opaque colors is some colors are not transparent or do not allowing light to pass through. When I apply a glaze of one color over another instead of allowing the two colors to reflect a third color it only dulled it. A example would be, a glaze of a transparent yellow over a blue and would then see green.

Needless to say I became familiar with transparent colors and was having lot of fun. Then on a YouTube video they were using a very limited pallet of opaque colors. So now what to do, for this artist was suggesting I use the taboo opaque color. Here's where I found the fun begins. If we are willing to risk failure to jump into a unknown area we always grow. For heaven sake what have I to lose, its only a small piece of watercolor paper and of course risking failure. Oh come on just risk it all and have fun.

The colors that were suggested was Cad Lemon, Cad Red Light, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber. Here is something else interesting, several of these colors are also what is called sedimentary. Webster says it means formed by the deposition of sediment, as in certain rocks. For us it simply means some of the minerals used to form certain colors  like Ultramarine Blue or Cobalt Blue contain very, very fine sediment.

Now is this good or bad? I would suggest some things can be both good and bad. It really comes down to using this understanding to your advantage. This little painting to the left was done in a very wet on wet method, meaning the paper was very wet as I painted.
Keeping in mind that these are not transparent colors I starting with Cad Lemon at the horizon line and then moving to Cad Red Light. This was done very carefully as I allowed these  colors to mix on the paper. The real test was adding Cobalt Blue. If the two are worked one over the other you will begin to get a muddy look. Even worse if the blue mixed with the yellow you will get green and that would not be very realist for a sky color. But if the red and blue are allowed to gently flow into each other it works well. The fact that these are sedimentary colors meant they left a  very slight grainy look. I liked it. I had copied the lady's piece doing the video to get the feel of using new colors before I went out on my own. It was just a small card size. I often experiment with very small size canvas. It doesn't feel as intimidating so how. 

This was so much fun I decided to use the same colors again but in a different landscape. To get some darker blues I had to introduce Indigo blue. 

Fun, just plan fun is all I can say. 

My last thought on this is to say that God said we were created in his image and this might mean his powerful ability to create is found in his created humans. Why do some of use just have real fun creating? I don't know. Actually I'm not sure what I do is creating as much as I'm trying to put Gods creation on paper as it just plain WOW's me and add the emotion that comes to my mind as I observe his creation. So be WOW with the beauty around you and remember that all creation lives to testily to its creator. 

Until Next Time
Cloud Watcher

Katheen Jones

Fun With New Direction in my Creative Journey

  Good afternoon, this post seems a bit unorganized but as I begin anew my love of art after a long absents hidden in the world of scrapbooking I just seem overjoyed at all the possibilities and plans I want to put to paper. I also seem to be headed back in to the world of teaching but on a much smaller scale. 

Having some real fun on this creative journey, a journey I hope is completely direct by God. Since my retirement from driving a bus I have been drinking in the beauty of all the marvelous flowers in my yard.  Wow, such wonders and where to start in capturing these beauties is my real problem. Just a few short months ago the ground was barren and the only real sign of life was in the dead remains of last season’s growth. Death, is what I saw in early march, but now we have color bursting in every direction and values and hues that tickles ones soul. I have no problem believing in life after death when remember my beautiful flowers from last season and them watching there blooms drop and the leaves turn brown and bend over to the earth and let go of life but  just below the snow of winter God created a spark of the past life that would resurrects into beauty again. Well with my retirement my summer will not be cut short by two months to go back to work and drive my wonderful yellow block long tank. That means more time observing and trying to put on paper the wonder and emotion I feel as I study each flower.

There is also the thrill of  watching my bird feeders and the wonderful variety of birds. Watching the understanding of weather and seasons and for those who must leave knowing just the perfect timing. 

But of course one of my newest objects to paint is night skys and the milky way. This verse below explains I think my true wonder of enjoying a beautiful evening at star watching.
Romans 1:20

 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Just one last thought, nature has a wonder way of magnifying many issues we incur in life. It’s a bit puzzling to understand how most humans are in awe of the abundance of variety in color and different plant species but yet see nothing interesting in the large variety in our fellow humans. This includes different skin color, different temperament, and different likes and dislikes in our fellow humans. Just saying!!!

I began a serious attempt at my new work schedule in my studio by adding to my “From My Bus Window collection”, then moving on to the wonder of a flower extremely hardy and long lasting, the Coneflower.  

I have again had fun with Pen and Ink and charcoal. I really did it as a value study to be used for a future painting but when several though it interesting I decided to frame it. Next was the fun of painting it using a few new technique’s. I was surprised in that my home students wanted to try the pin and ink. We all agreed that doing a detail pin and ink study helps give you a better feel for values and tiring to create a center of interest. When striped of the power of color and its color intensity one gets a better feel for just plane value of each area and what it takes to bring items forward and setting others back. It was lots of fun.  (just as a side note the choice of doing a pen and ink came first from a YouTube video. I trip up on it on my Pinterest account and realize I had some time ago bought a kit with all kinds of charcoal and pen and ink supplies. Yes a garage sale, and my husband at the time couldn’t understand why I wanted to buy the kit being as I hadn’t the slightest idea how to approach charcoal and pen and ink. My answer will make sense to some but made perfect sense to me, ITS ONLY A DOLLAR YOU KNOW. So here we are laying a path to new technique’s)  

Finally I went to my watercolors and painted my wonderful little cabin that I have watched daily on my bus route for the last few years. My season of choice for this work was winter. Not sure just why but this cabin sits in a deep valley and when snow is present it brings some unique challenges while driving my bus. 

Till Next time. Remember all of creation and its beauty lives to testify to Gods love, power and beauty. So spend precious time enjoying what was created by a loving God to be pleasing to his human creations eyes. 

PS I must say it is quit a thrill to be excited about going to work, for since I intend to go back to travel teaching this is how I plan to handing my time in my studio. By the way my studio as I am now calling my work area is just a closed off garage and I love it that way, nothing fancy just useful. Thank you so much Lord for a place to create.


Until next time
The Cloud Watcher

New direction

  I have been off the grid for a bit but it seems God still has more creative journey in me. Since my last post I have slowly been drawn back into the Art world. It seems the rest from teaching and painting may have been in his plan all along, for I feel excited and see beauty all around me now. I have also been preparing to retire from work which will allow for new and exciting journey for me.

Journey where, you say? Certainly not to the extent of where art and teaching took me before. But with a new title of “All Creation Lives to Testify to Gods Wonder and Power”. Where that leads only He knows. For now I have spent time observing this power and beauty from my School Bus window and put down some of the everyday views from my bus window. My route allows for some rustic scenic spots to daily watch through the season changes. I have a beautiful barn at the bottom of a large hill and decided to see if in pen and ink and charcoal could still bring out its charm. This was so much fun. Doing detail drawings and using only the pen and value to present an objects charm and in this case peaceful feel was a real joy.

I plan on doing this beautiful barn in watercolor and also posting additional bus route photos in the future. 

Gods beauty is any were and everywhere if we only take time to look.

 I got in a bit of trouble at work for helping direct other drivers in viewing clouds and have been called the Cloud Watcher. So this will be my new title. Go out and be present for sunrises and sunsets and until next time keep watching for beauty all around you.

Until next time
The Cloud Watcher