Amber Waves of Grain

I feel like I channeled one of the Impressionist painters to create this watercolor!  A desire to clean out my rather disorganized makeup drawer brought to my attention a large, fluffy brush.  The kind used to apply face powder.  It made me start wondering what would happen if I used this brush to paint??  So, naturally, always open to a challenge, I did just that. This painting is the result.  I had absolutely no control over what happened since the fullness and soft bristles gave me almost no options.  You know what?  I love it!  It immediately spoke to me about the golden wheat fields in the center of our beautiful  America. I added a flock of birds giving it a focal point and a lovely finish.

Cafe in St. Maxime

 

This traditional cafe was painted from a photo taken in St. Maxime, France. It's located along the French Riviera just on the Mediterranean and is filled with winding cobblestone streets, charming storefronts and sidewalk cafes. Can't you just picture yourself sitting outside in the warm sunshine, enjoying a cafe au lait with a light flaky croissant? 

Zebra

Being in a playful mood I chose unusual colors for this painting which is done on hot press paper.
As you can see the paper allows watercolors to mix and blend easily but offers little control of edges.
New artists working in watercolor are often appalled by this lack of being able to keep the paint exactly where you want it.  As you move forward you move toward being more loose and accepting of letting the watercolor do it!