First Foray with Compromised Materials

I decided to ease back into watercolor this year.  A while ago I poured some latex watercolor resist (frisket) onto a 12×16″ block of watercolor paper. On each occasion that I passed by the studio, I saw the frisket design and thought about how to develop it. On new year’s day I started painting.  When […]

Abstract with Elaborate Splashes

I am beginning to like working with layers. It is a bit of a cop out in terms of design, since one never knows with certainty what the next tier will add or subtract from another.  Certainly working with a computer photo editor allows the artist to create layers that can be superimposed without affecting the […]

Abstract Circles

Today I experimented with another type of frisket (liquid latex that, when dried, resists watercolor paint).  I dripped little perfect circles at different places, then drew larger circles with a compass. I washed the paper with lemon yellow except for the partial circle at the lower left. I overpainted most of the yellow with a […]

Breather

I get to the point sometimes, when it is hard to continue revisiting the plight of my brother Mike* and our relationship, or lack thereof. However, my obsessive fascination with him (even though I haven’t seen him in a couple of years) has led me delve into a many related but diverse realms, i.e., philosophy and […]

Don’t Mess

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. […]

Abstract 060515

Today’s watercolor experiment: I used to be a photographer. One of my favorite things to do was to walk around the city seeking the unusual: an old storefront, handwritten signs, graffiti… anything that caught my eye. That was when I lived in New York City. Never a dull moment. Now I live in California, Silicon […]

Less Ink

Today’s watercolor experiment: I had two ideas in mind for today: experimenting with brilliant colors in the background; and using earth tones to color the traces of the latex resist. I began with liquid latex. This time I shook the paper back and forth. I liked the spiny appendages sticking out of the main trunk of liquid […]

Blending

Note: I decided not to modify the yesterday’s experiment. For now at least, I leave the unmasked traces as they are. I may change my mind if I revisit this study at a later time. Today’s watercolor experiment: I enjoyed my experiment with ink yesterday, even though I used it minimally (the red spot surrounded by […]

Engine of Consciousness

Today’s watercolor experiment: I had no idea about the topic of my study today except that I wanted to start with a random placement of liquid latex on my paper. I’m always surprised by the outcome, and it gives me the opportunity to think during each stage of the creation. Steps in my process today: 1. Latex […]

Trouble

Today’s (almost aborted) watercolor experiment: Having worked for the past several days on painting studies of real leaves and trees, I thought I would delve into the abstract. My plan was to use my latex resist, pour out a leaf-like design, let it dry, experiment with colors on the uncovered paper, remove the resist and proceed based […]

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