A New Direction, or a Short-lived Experiment?

This was the first week of June, and the first week of my new sketchbook project. As I'd figured, I only managed to do four paintings out of seven. My idea had been to paint scenes close to my studio, which is in a sort of no-man's-land near the Canadian-Pacific railroad tracks at the top of Plateau Mont-Royal. The subjects nearby are way out of my comfort zone: industrial buildings, the railroad, the bike path past warehouses covered with graffiti, scrubby vegetation. It's not at all pretty, and yet there's something more challenging about finding something to paint here. I'm not sure I can keep it up for a whole month. Maybe I'll add some flowering trees in the ruelles to increase my enthusiasm, or maybe I'll jump ship completely. 

One thing I've found about being older is that if I've made a wrong move, I'm no longer determined to stay on that path or else. With the Lisbon sketchbook, I really wanted to finish it as I had originally planned. Here, I'm not so sure. But still, I'm pleased with the work I did this week, and glad that I no longer shy away from urban scenes because of discomfort with perspective.

Doing direct watercolor --without an underlying pen or pencil drawing -- is a good exercise, too, I'm finding. By using a dagger brush, I'm able to draw the basic shapes with the edge or tip of the brush in a light color, and thus sketch in the basic scene before committing to large areas of color. Simplification happens naturally when drawing with a brush, and that's good. This week I ordered two new, high quality dagger brushes from Rosemary & Co, in England. Working rapidly also forces me to make swift color choices. I've been glad for a pre-mixed grey I added to my palette (a combination of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue), and overall I'm happy with my new, extended range of 18 colors, though I seldom use any of them without modification.

So, I'm learning some things, and not being too hard on myself. The point of painting, after all, is to enjoy it.

 

Comments

[A. Murphy]

I hope you will continue, Beth. I enjoy these. (And want to give it a shot myself.)

[Rachel Barenblat]

I like these very much. There are beautiful lines and curves, the swoop of the railroad tracks, the overpass, the power lines. And I like the way the watercolor treatment brings a natural softness and beauty to scenes I would not ordinarily pause to think beautiful.

[Peter]

I think my favorite is the bushes with the tracks beyond, but there's a sense of clear light and calm in the factory parking lot that appeals, as well. I hope you're pleased with what you're doing!