I spent many years of my youth in Michigan.
And I enjoyed walking through the woods and fields and dunes.
The slow pace of rural living helped form my appreciation of the outdoors.
So to a great extent, most of what I enjoy painting or sketching today is
along the back roads and the ocean.
I usually start by taking photos and doing rough sketches in
areas that interest me, following with additional color thumbnails
that I translate into watercolor paintings - mostly half sheets.
I like to wet the paper first and let the colors run - usually using large flat brushes.
I then use a variety of smaller flats, grounds and riggers for details - as well as
sponges, tissues and stiff oil brushes for texture.
By painting in the studio, I can take the time to change the lighting,
seasons or the colors. Or even combine elements to produce a more creative painting.
The exciting part of watercolors is that you never really know how the
final painting will turn out. I have been painting watercolors for many years,
and there is always something new that surprises me.
