Watercolor Challenge

I'm hosting the Water Media Challenge for April on creativespark.art this month.  I put up some of my photos.  I'm starting off with a scene in Montana.  I'm getting more used to using watercolor for sketching but painting is different.  

This is in a watercolor sketchbook, 7 x 9.5 inches, I bought in Michigan when visiting Sue many years ago.  It is about half full.  I want the sketches in it to be in watercolor so ....  You know I don't do as many watercolors as pastels.  

Watercolor dries lighter in value.  I was surprised that the water came out  so green, it was more neutral blue green on my brush.  The shadows were more purple on my brush as well.  I'm sure mixing with the green did that, but it didn't "look" as brown when it was wet.  I need to practice all that.  The light bush in the upper middle was too dark and I used some white gouache to make that lighter.  I was putting the purple behind it to make the contrast and you see the brown results.  Complements really make their counterparts show.  They say it is because your eyes don't blend complements so they move back and forth.  I'm not sure, but something works.

You can see the photos and paint along with us here:

https://creativespark.art/threads/april-2023-watermedia-challenge.5321/#post-89725

I painted this scene way back in the old days from life in oils.  I was using water miscible oils and had some of the same trouble getting the light on the bush.

Jacob's Creek, oil on panel, 10 x 8 inches

Something I've learned painting outside is you have to go lighter than you see because it looks darker inside on the wall.

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I have been reading about Michael Chesley Johnson since my first workshop I took in Montana after we moved to Austin when Gene retired.  That would be 1994.  I was looking for a workshop with him because he was in New Mexico and we could stay in Magdalena and visit with family.  It didn't work out time wise.  In the meantime Michael moved to Maine, then Sedona and is now back in New Mexico.  Sue and I finally signed up for one of the workshops in Arizona and then there was a problem with one of our schedules and we cancelled so I've only known Michael by internet.

If you have been thinking of or trying abstracts you will find this post interesting.....  From Michael Chesley Johnson's blog:

Abstracting the Landscape: Workshop with Scott Gellatly

https://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/2023/03/abstracting-landscape-workshop-with.html

 

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The Longhorns won against Oklahoma State last night 5-3.  Hopefully they will do it again tonight.  Hook 'em Horns! 

You can read about it here:

https://texassports.com/news/2023/3/31/no-21-baseball-opens-osu-series-with-5-3-win.aspx

 

I decided to sign on to ESPN+ to watch the game.  What a racket.  It has gone from $6.99 a month to $9.99 a month in one year.  It wouldn't be so bad if I watched more sports.  But.....  

I did get hooked to the end of the Texas State - Arkansas State game when the Longhorn game ended.  I tuned in and it was the bottom of the ninth.  Texas State was behind one run.  They tied the game and went into the tenth.  Arkansas State went ahead a run in top of the 10th. TX State got two on and a walk off single so won. Ty Harrington, retired coach from Texas State,  was the color guy on ESPN.  That made it more interesting. 
 

The announcers for the Texas game were the worst I've ever heard I think.  They were not interested in the game at all.  Rambling about old times and old major league rules and not understanding the new NCAA rules.  Pitiful and I paid $10 for that.  I will try again tonight and listen to Craig Way on the Longhorn internet broadcast and watch with no sound.  The Longhorn broadcast is always behind a few seconds but their talk is usually about the game.  They also know about the competition and tell about the players and strategy.