Sow What?

Sow What?
Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

Today's advanced watercolor class concluded their study of  painting a still life.   The painting above, Sow What?  is my interpretation of the still life from the objects set up.  There are many possibilities of subjects to paint in a still life, especially following my favorite definition -- "anything that does not move or is dead."  Because of the many possibilities, selection of a subject was difficult.  I finally decided since it was Spring and time for gardening that gardening tools would be a fun subject. The photo below is the set up for the still life.

Once I had the items setup, the fun part for the students began.  Everyone sat at a different angle on the subject, so that in itself would make each painting unique.  Also, each student had to select "how" to execute the painting - how big, how small, how to position on the page, background, etc.    My favorite part as a teacher was to see how each student interpreted the subjects in their own special way and how the painting was executed using the skills learned in class.

Watercolor Tip

When painting any subject, each artist should put their own special style on the painting.....that is what makes a painting of the same subject unique.  Don't be afraid to look at things from a different angle, use a different technique, try a new color!  Make the painting your own and most of all - have fun!

Happy Painting!