Two Paintings Off the Easel

Jakob - yesterday, I forgot to add his freckles! So I quickly added a sprinkling of freckles today.

I began working on Merlin a month or so ago, in watercolor on 300# Arches paper. I love the heavy weight, textured paper, but I wasn't very happy with how the painting had progressed. I decided to simply let go of my purist desire to do so-called "pure" watercolor, and to add colored pencil to achieve the look I wanted on the fur of this amazing cat.

Merlin's eyes are enchanting, so I think the background contributes to his magical being. He was great fun to paint - and even more fun to let go of perfectionism and play with the colored pencils on top of the watercolor base.

David Walker, thank you for the photo of your amazing cat, Merlin!