Art Therapy: Watercolors Part 2

Serene Grace, ,

I’m getting addicted to painting these mini watercolor paintings :)! They are super small, can fit in the palm of your hand.

Hope Sandoval (singer of Mazzy Star)

Hope Sandoval wrote the lyrics, https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/16192/. “Fade Into You” performed live is my favorite version of this song. I love how genuine she is, you can see her shyness, she’s not costumed or seeking fan worship, she’s just singing her song. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o4m5jQy5A2U&ra=m

I’m painting with reference images vs just using my imagination now. The problem is that I’m using my phone to view the images and it’s causing major eye strain. I wish magazines still existed, do they still exist? The portraits have a bit more realism but still retain a drawing/colored pencils look.

Watercolor pencils are my new favorite medium. Unfortunately my hands have arthritis and my vision is blurry but I’m going to figure out ways around the obstacles, might try to print out the images, but I don’t have a color printer :(! Don’t wait to create art until when you’re old!

The tiny portraits close up:

There’s something mysterious about painting. As the portrait comes together, I often sense that the image has its own personality. It’s hard to explain, but I think it’s somehow connected to imagination and perhaps memory.

Slight changes create noticeable differences, especially in tiny paintings. I don’t know if I like this portrait’s start or finish better. This is a portrait of Sinead O’Conner, it’s not perfect but I like it.. I’m not tracing or using a grid method, I’m just using my eyes’ perception.I might start using a grid/ruler.

“Mandinka” performed live. I’ve always admired Sinead’s passionate self-confidence. She was brave, nonconformist and made crew cuts and bald heads beautiful. https://youtu.be/ce2l-U0ES-M?si=vvLLH2Xq79FMnUOP

14 Comments

    1. Thank you, Christopher. Yes, I thought of that too, when I was making them. Those little necklace lockets were their form of photography in a way. Tiny things feel precious to me.

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      1. They do to me as well.
        There was a locket of photos of a pair of my distant ancestors from the 19th Century that used to be in my parents’ house.
        They were ancestors of my maternal Scottish grandmother.
        They were both Scottish and were concert singers.
        The male in the picture was a very distinguished looking bearded gentleman and the female was a very strikingly beautiful young woman.
        They sang at concert halls and courts throughout Europe (including the court of Napoleon III and the court of the Russian Czars).
        Sadly the locket pictures were lost when my dad’s house had to be sold after he died.

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      2. That’s fascinating. I’m sorry that those treasured lockets were lost. I think you should write down your family’s history, whether or not you publish it.

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  2. I love your style, Judy. Of course the arthritis and vision issues work on me too, so, I just take frequent breaks that are short and then I also use a little hand magnifier glass to see if the details are right. When I reach that point where I really need to quit, I find a stopping point and then come back to it the next day or when I have time. I get so much peace from the painting and drawing process, I can’t give it up. But, we can certainly pace ourselves to keep art and creativity a big part of our lives. You have talents that should continue to flourish.

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    1. Thank you, Dan. Good advice, you’re right! I tend to get over zealous, want to complete a painting and end up straining my eyes! 😊. The blue light is really hurting my eyes especially . I kind of loathe tech, miss the good ole days. I like your magnifying glass idea, I bought a few but forget to use them! Maybe I could get one that can be clipped onto a light source? I didn’t realize that you paint and draw, I would love to see your work. There’s something spiritual about making visual art, I can’t explain it but something from within, comes through in the artwork.

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      1. I suffer the same determination to complete my work. Also, sitting for a long time bent over the canvas allows my back to punish me for the abuse I put it through. I put up my most recent paintings on IG. I use a style similar to impressionist painting. It’s actually much more difficult for me than the usual layering and blending of color like the old masters. But, I like the effects. I’m never going to get my paintings in a gallery, but it does give me a lot of reward to work on creating something I enjoy. I’d say go for it as long and as hard as you like and be nice to yourself at the same time.

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      2. I think having artwork in a gallery is overrated, honestly there’s so much ego and artificiality in the “art world” that I don’t have much respect for it. I was once talking with a man who was very upset about buying artwork that he thought was valued at a higher price. I asked him if he liked the artwork itself and he seemed befuddled at the concept. He only bought artwork for profit. I’m with the “art for art’s sake” way of thinking. I have no intention on being a “professional” although the word “amateur” carries such a negative connotation. I don’t use an easel either, (even if I was painting a large canvas) so I understand the back strain. I enjoy the blending and layering process because it helps me to cover mistakes :)! Watercolor is more unforgiving with errors, the paper starts to wear away, oh well.

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      3. I agree. In fact most Oligarchs transfer wealth through arts and antiquities than money or bit coin. The art for money and fame crowd are not the artists but the piranhas that feed on the artists. Greed is always the foundation of their business. My daughter and grand daughter are nationally recognized for their work and they don’t want anything to do with the “industry” they just want to create although both have done commission work for restaurants and small businesses as more giving to the community than making money. Water color is my favorite and I’ve cheated recently with the water color pens and pencils. I still have a set of 1950’s pens for ink give to me as a teenager that work like a quill pen except you can adjust the width of the nibs to make heavier or thinner lines. I spent a lot of hours with sepia ink doing ink drawings that thrilled me to death to do. Now my eyesight and lack of fine motor skills put that out of reach. I never considered myself a true artist just a neophyte who loved to see what I could do. My imagination became tangible and I liked that. So, here’s to art for arts sake. May we never stop until called home.

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  3. I αm happy to see more of your paintings! I like the mini sizes too – it reminds me of old photographs, very nostalgic. The smaller sizes make it easier to carry around too – such as a bookmark for a favourite book😊 I love watercolour paintings, I hope you will continue with your art🌸

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    1. Tiny is mighty! Bookmarks are a great idea. I like that tiny art can be created quickly (in comparison to large art) and uses less materials too 😍🌸

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  4. Even if you are painting for therapy, the talent is noticeable and those miniatures turned out wonderful. Again, praying for you🙏🏼

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