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Studio Painting
06/06/2008 10:13:50 / full of life
Painting in the studio is very different to sketching in the African bush. My watercolors consist of loose washes with detail added only at the end. In order to achieve the watercolor effects which are a big part of my work, I have to have full control over how the paint dries. This is virtually impossible when I am in the African bush due to the temperature, dust etc. Also, because I use so much water, I need to 'stretch' my paper before I paint. This means soaking the paper in the bath for a couple of minutes, letting most of the moisture run off it and taping it to a board, where I leave it to dry overnight. When the paper dries it will be tight as a drum and I can use as much water as I like without having the paper buckle. Soaking paper like this is also virtually impossible in the bush when you can only carry limited amounts of water with you and that is required for drinking.
My studio paints are also very different. Instead of the portable set I use in the bush, in the studio I use tubes of Windsor & Newton paint, large white plates as mixing palettes and much larger brushes. Working in watercolor is wonderful but can also be frustrating. There is always an element of holding your breath to see what is going to happen. Sometimes the results are wonderful, sometimes they are consigned to the trash bin! But that’s why I love watercolor.
Alison
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