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| "Dark Forest", small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
I suppose I'm not too surprised by the dark and moody paintings that have come
out of me since I began painting again. Its been a long, intense and challenging
winter. I walked into the studio last Thursday, and began exploring small worlds.
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| Small explorations, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I re-enter
my creative process with multiple small pieces, exploring color, mood, and
warming up my wash technique. The photo below gives a sense of scale, I
hope, the smalles work in the lower left corner is just about 3" x5", about
the size of the bottom left above.
each, I learn something about where I am, what wants to be said on a large
scale and what needs attention in my technique. I appreciate many of the small
explorations in their own right, but enjoy the challenge of working larger and
the visual impact the large forest paintings have on a space. When I get a few
logistics worked out in the studio, I will begin a series of very large forests.
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| Small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Gold Afternoon", VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Through the Hemlocks", VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Late Afternoon Light", small exploration VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Clearing", small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Dusk", small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Old One", small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| "Spring", small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
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| Small exploration, VClaff, watercolor on paper 2014 |
The painting below was started as a demonstration of my painting process for my
open studio in December. It is a larger piece - half a sheet of watercolor paper.
(not quite this orange, I don't think) It was just the first wash layer until today,
when I worked most of the afternoon on the trees. It may still need one small tree
on the right side, but we'll see.
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| In progress, VClaff, watercolor on paper, 15" x 22" 2014 |
Now that school is over until late August, I am settling into a new routine - having
coffee and breakfast in the moss garden if the weather allows, and doing small
chores before beginning work in the studio. Yesterday, I sat and watched the
first bloodroot bloom of the season open before my eyes. I could not detect
any movement, but bit by bit, it opened. Magical!
April was a very cold month, and now May is not warming up as much as it might,
either. My chore before the studio this morning, was to bring in a hefty load of
firewood to warm the chilly nights ahead!! I'll leave you with images from my
travels around town in April, and the tree around the corner which I have
photographed over and over as it always has such a wonderful dialogue with the
powerlines and clouds.
