Watercolor Wonders ~

Watercolor has always fascinated me.

And I’ve been ‘learning’ about it most of my adult life!  I think I may have learned the best way to learn ~ at least for me. Just let it be. Let it be a time of playing… experimenting, and learning ~ bit by bit ~ watercolor splash by splash!  No robbing myself by comparison.  Let some things slide. Not everything will be a pleasing composition… but that is how I will learn.  So I work hard at just enjoying the process.  I don’t always succeed.  But I am enjoying the process.  More and more. Because that is what learning is.  Enjoyment!

I’ve always been drawn to bright colors, which you will see by some of the photos.  I’m also delving into softer colors… and less of it.  Leaving white space!  {a key concept in my opinion}.  Sprinkling watered-down white paint. Splashes of silver mica paint spots!  And of course, adding a bit of hand lettering makes it ‘real’ for me, and a cause for creating a pretty background, adding practicality to an artistic endeavor!

These happen to be 5″ x 7″ watercolor cards, ordered from dickblick.com. The ones I use are made by Strathmore, and are the “hot press” variety which I happen to personally prefer.  They also make a cold press variety.  What’s the difference?  Ahhh!  Good question, right? I didn’t know for a long time, myself. Finally I read where it is a matter of a rougher texture {cold press} vs a smoother texture of the paper {hot press}. These ones are flat so they are not a folded card. I choose these most because when I give them as a gift, they can also be framed if desired, or even used a nice bookmark! And I usually order coordinating envelopes separately as I order them from Dick Blick in packs of 25, and they don’t come with envelopes.

My favorite paints these days?  While I am much enamored with all kinds of art supplies.. .there is a limit!  There HAS. To. Be. A Limit!! The ones I am ‘using up” {tongue in cheek here} are the twinkling h20’s as they are called. Manufactured and sold by Colourarte.com and no doubt Amazon as well… as of course, what doesn’t Amazon sell these days?  But going to the original website… well, you will get sales, and details… and all kinds of learning videos, too.  YouTube will tell ya that, too! These particular paints have a iridescent glow because they have a bit of mica in them.

And you won’t be surprised to learn that I also apply… {drum roll please} … cut and fused flowers! Another reason to use those beautiful, gorgeous floral fabrics I now have in abundance in my stash!!

YAY!

I am also loving applying words… scripture… particularly the Gospel of John, which I have been studying for the past six months or so in a group I am loving to be a part of: Bible Study Fellowship.  So I love being able to go one more step deeper so to speak ~  artistically apply details~concepts~phrases… of things I want to learn better, and treasuring it all into the depths of my heart as I play with watercolor, pens, and sprinkles!  IT IS ALL good.  A kind of devotion time, if you know what I mean… ?

And it is well with my soul!! And YES.  There will be miracles!

{*Amen!}
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Yes. And Amen.  Bless your day!!