Once again I have a thumbnail which inspired the painting plus the painting. I like the thumbnail better – but I must admit I was doing both under less that ideal circumstances. Sunday night I took my husband to the emergency room. Poor guy ended up having emergency surgery for a hernia on Monday. I just couldn’t bring myself to sketch hospital beds or bags of saline solution and I’m too shy to paint people who might notice. But his window looked down into a closed courtyard with three stories of building all round. The courtyard had half a dozen trees and in it I was surprised to see last summer’s robin’s nest. Painting was a good way to distract myself.
I did the little sketch first, on Strathmore’s high surface 2 ply – a lovely smooth paper for pen and ink but not one on which I usually add color. Still, I like how the paper took the color -- nice and fresh.
Since I liked how the first turned out I decided to paint a ‘better’ one for the challenge. This is painted on Strathmore’s Aquarius II 90# synthetic watercolor paper. The paper was fine, but the artist wasn’t in high gear. I actually like my first sketch better.
My hubby has been one sick puppy, but he is home again and slowly perking up.
3 comments:
...I really like both paintings for different reasons. I love the pen work in the first. It's crisp and beautiful. I love the softness of the second. It's more reflective, maybe picking up your sadness at being at the hospital with your husband? Sending good wishes to your hubby for a speedy recovery...
I agree with Kelly about how each version has its appeal. I've also done sketches on site and then done a "better" (or what I call a "more serious") version later, and felt I took some of the magic out of the scene by trying to get everything "right" (whatever that is!). I look back at the sketch and try to figure out precisely what it is that I prefer about it, and sometimes (if I'm not bored with the subject by that time) try again to do a serious version that has some of the elements I liked better.
Hi Kelly ... my hubby is devinitly doing better (:-)and soon will be fussing because he can't pick up his camera for at least another week.
Hi Lorrie ... You made a very good point. I just might study both and try a third.
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