IsabeauxStudio

It is amazing the effect that the three day workshop had on me.  There was a bit of an epiphany, as well as the feeling of having the "light turned on."  I had been approaching watercolors incorrectly all along, and all of a sudden I had the keys to the kingdom.  It would just take a bit of practice to use them properly.

I was so excited by what I just had learned that I immediately went to the studio and began to paint after the workshop.  I hadn't been that inspired to work in a really long time, and it felt good.

Here is the photo that I worked from.  This photo was taken in Syracuse during a trip to see my father.  It was fall, and the colors were out in the leaves and they were stunning.  I have a lot of great photos.

Since I always end up eating too well at my dad's, I went for a walk in a nearby park to burn off some calories.  It was there I took this photo, which was the focus of my first watercolor piece with my new skills.

Here is the first laying down of the color washes.  This technique was something that I had really struggled with previously.  I learned how to add "texture" to the piece by adding drops of water from my spray bottle.  

Here is the image with trees added, and a bit more texture.

Here is the final image of "Gold Rush."  Overall I was pretty pleased that  I could finish the painting without "killing it."