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Monday, January 13, 2014

Don't Give Up!


Thursday mornings I meet with a group of painters on location. Recently the location did nothing for me. The morning was brutally cold (yes it does get cold in California), the sky was gray and the trees were brown. The fact that I had a sore throat dulled my enthusiasm, too. I tried to be positive and stick it out. We'll it comes as no surprise my sketch bombed! I felt defeated. When I got to feeling better I took another look at the sketch. My first impression was correct...it was awful.

I knew the sketch wasn't worth saving but I didn't want to see it every time I opened my book either. Tearing pages out isn't an option for many reasons. For one it's admitting defeat, two it's an opportunity to learn something, third I'm stubborn. I dislike the idea that a piece of paper got the best of me (grin).

Don't walk away when something doesn't go your way...be a problem solver. When you have nothing to lose great things can happen. I decided to try something I hadn't done before. Using clips to hold the sketchbook (Stillman & Birn,Beta) open I used a flat soft brush and water to wash off the
image and let dry completely. In a small dish I mixed white gesso with burnt sienna watercolor. With a flat brush I painted the surface leaving white paper exposed at the edges. Now I had a nicely tinted page waiting for the perfect subject to present itself.

Recently I was sketching at Travel Town, a train museum in Griffith Park. A little locomotive named "Charlie Atkins, #1" caught my eye.  Painting on a gessoed surface is different than watercolor paper.  It took me a few minutes to figure it out but in no time I was happily painting away.


What was a defeat in my eyes is now a success. Why is that?...Because I didn’t give up, I tried something new, and I learned something.

Don't give up...Be a problem solver!



Happy Painting! 
Brenda