I almost feel guilty. My newly found way to create watercolors is fun and thought provoking, even it begins with a random act. I pour a splash of liquid frisket (also known as drawing gum or watercolor resist) onto watercolor paper. After that, I tilt and turn the paper to steer the fluid along its way. Since I watch what I do whilst manipulating the drips, I can hardly characterize this part of my creative act, random. However the initial distribution of drops may produce several different streams of fluid that move in synchrony.
After I have an interesting pattern, I may have an idea about how to proceed, as in yesterday’s post (Made To Be Broken), or not (Paint Now, Add Title Later).
Today’s watercolor adventure:
I left the frisket traces blank today, since I wanted the divisions separating the color and patterned fields to be simple. I thought of coloring them with some manner of complementary pigments, but opted for simplicity instead.
The idea of an angry Mother Nature took hold when I noticed a small dot of frisket inside a head-shaped enclosure. I colored that area with my formula for flesh color (yellow ochre, white and cadmium red). I painted the fields beneath Mother Nature to represent natural resources and her head as a stormy night sky. One can see her open maw about to devour mankind.
Don’t Mess with Mother Nature
16″x12″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block
Not all of my abstracts tell me a story, but I like it when they do.
That is great. I’ve done a lot of drip paintings but never heard of a frisket, can you explain in more detail? Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for your kind words. The frisked I started using is called drawing gum, by a company called pēbēo. It is liquid until it dries. One can paint over it then and, when it is removed, the white of the paper shows through. In watercolors it is like drawing with white, only you can’t see it until you are done. Does this help?
J
Yes very much. Going to the art store tomorrow.