June 7, 2022

Getting out of the comfort zone

It’s weird to think I’ve been working in watercolour for almost 8 years now. I’ve learned about, and now love, so much about the medium – it’s ‘happy accidents’, its luminosity, the way that I find the less I seem to fuss over it, the happier I am with the result.

But, watercolour does have its limits.

Doing light over dark isn’t easy (it’s kind of not what it was designed for, although there are still some beautiful examples of artists pushing this to its limits). Strong, vibrant colours are, again, not its strong suit. You can make it work but watercolour loves light transparent colour.

And so, the artist is faced with a challenge. Do I continue to explore the depth of watercolour? Invent new or perhaps interesting techniques to produce the images I can see in my head in this somewhat misunderstood medium? Or, maybe it’s time to try something different.

Digital has always struggled to find a place in my practice. I spent a lot of time on computers during the day so spending more time on computers for ‘art’ purposes was not very attractive. But, time changes things, and things might be different now.

Like an astronaut exploring the far reaches of the universe, the art medium landscape isn’t constrained but is infinite. And so, in this short life, perhaps I owe it to myself to explore a few strange and different planets for a while. At the very least, I’ll learn something – either enjoy something of a new medium or return whimpering to my safe place of watercolour. The thing is, if I never go, I’ll never know and so, in the end, I probably only have one choice – to approach it with curiosity and an open mind, as I’ve always done with this art journey, and see what comes out the other side.

Other observations
November 5, 2024

Consistent or resistant

Is my aversion to change about my wanting to be consistent? Or, am I actually being resistant and am I losing something because of that?

October 22, 2024

Critically unacclaimed

What do reviews really tell us about the work? Does it matter who’s reviewing?

October 15, 2024

Proper technique

If I’m learning a new art form, do I focus on technical correctness first or building an emotional connection with the medium?

October 8, 2024

The importance of mess

Physical art materials are messy and inconvenient. But isn’t that the point?

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