Charlies Reid is famous watercolor artist.
I am not.
But I wanted to try something different, something that I could do quickly and not agonize over. This is the result. I did a study of one of Mr. Reid’s paintings. It was fun. Yet, I still stumble over the same things time and time again.
Teacher: You’re all middle values, get some darks in there.
Me: (dumb look on my face) uh, OK
It’s the same thing every week. And every week I think. really, why am I doing this? Maybe I should pack up my brushes and go watch some more TV. I like TV. I do not like movies. I like books. I like Broadway, especially musicals. I still don’t like movies. I don’t know why I don’t like movies. I find them long and boring and contrived. But I am also picky about my TV shows. There are some network shows I love, but mostly I like the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the Science Channel. And some shows on USA. (Love Burn Notice!)
I’m still a little shaken by a scuffle (and I’m being kind) my dog got into with a schnauzer. A feisty schnauzer since my dog outweighed her by at least 7o lbs. Ugh. Now I have to be extra careful and keep that choke chain high and tight. Like my husband’s haircut. That made me laugh. Ok, I’m drifting. Time to end this blog and go watch some TV. Big Love is on tonight. I can’t wait. Barb is going to get excommunicated! I have no life.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
6 comments
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March 16, 2009 at 1:09 am
Bonnie Luria
High and tight like your husbands’ haircut made me really laugh.
I really like the looseness in this one and that you got it done in one class. The flowers are really well seen- in perspective.
It tells a complete story of a still life and stays you kept it fresh.
Don’t ever pack up your brushes. Pack up your remote control first.
March 16, 2009 at 9:18 pm
wrjones
I’m totally with Bonnie. Keep painting. One problem with watercolor and the values is it dries lighter. Pick a simple subject with some atmospheric perspective. For example some sky, a far mountain, a middle mountain and a close mountain or trees. Just go for the value study. Get the values right. Stand back and look and see if your values match the image. It takes a long time to learn and you always have to remind yourself to check and recheck the value relationships.
If you find you have a weak piece that has no appeal instead of ripping it up, compare it to what you are painting and look for the differences. The biggest problems are drawing and value. Even if you screw up the color get the values right (actually if you get the color right the value is right).
If it were easy to learn you would have moved on to some other hobby to bitch about by now.
Watch the movie Religilous.
Your painting pal,
The Reverend Shifty Greenbacks
March 17, 2009 at 10:04 am
Nava
“Maybe I should pack up my brushes and go watch some more TV”
Noooooooooo! Hey, maybe you’re not a value painter? I heard so many times that if you want to emphasize color, you actually need to keep your values close, so maybe that’s what you’re about rather than high-contrast painter? There is no right and wrong in art. If we all did the “right” thing and followed the same recipe, then we might as well all pick our brushes and go watch TV.
I’m also become addicted to Big Love.
March 17, 2009 at 7:45 pm
stephen
And I agree with Bonnie and WRJ – and Nava – it would be a shame to swop what you can do to create this picture for vegetating in front of rubbish on TV –
I like this painting – it is full of life
Stephen
March 20, 2009 at 1:18 pm
wrjones
Looking at this reminded me of the watercolor class I took with a large old man teaching a class of all women but me. I was only in there for one class as a makeup from another teacher.
I painted all weak middle values and he stood behind me and said, “Come on put some color and darks in there, you paint like a woman!” The rest of the class errupted in outrage. He then stuttered and stammered and said, “I … I mean you paint like a sissy.”
June 8, 2015 at 3:08 pm
outsideauthority
I see dark values in it, I think it’s charming