Today’s watercolor experiment:

I visited the Norton Simon Museum today. What a treat to see Van Goghs, Cezannes, Degas, Klees, Kandinskys, Matisses and works of other legendary artists in person! I was hoping to see a Jawlensky portrait on display, but there was only one landscape of his on display. It was still wonderful to see.

I have been scribbling some ‘candid’ sketches of my grandson, William. The plan was to sketch him from life until I could draw a realistic portrait. However, I was inspired by my trip to the museum to jump ahead and abstract features that make Will recognizable as Will.

This is what I painted:

Abstract Portrait, Child
12″x9″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

I began timidly, working too small. I decided to use my big brushes, load them with paint and overpaint my initial effort with long brush strokes. The curve of his head, his upper lip and his chin are remarkable to me (in real life). As time goes on, perhaps I can inform my sketching from the exaggerated features of this abstract.