Watercolor Experiments & Bluebirds

"Sunflower Splash" - 9"x12" wc & wc pencils on a hot press Fluid watercolor paper block.

Watercolor experimentation is always both exciting and intimidating - because one has really very little control over how the watercolor paints will react in differing circumstances, papers, and techniques. Here are a few of my recent experiments - only one brought to some level of completion. That one is above and the beginning experiment is direction below. The others waiting for inspiration to "hit" and my skills to make them come alive with images!

Experiment #1: splashing the paint on a smooth watercolor surface. For this one, I used Derwent WC pencils and a regular #2 pencil to delineate the design on Fluid Watercolor Paper Hot Press finish in 9"x12" pad size.

Experiment #2: watercolor on 6" square gesso board - a smooth, slick, hard surface. The one on the left has two opposite colors dropped onto the surface, then Sea Salt sprinkled on top to create a starry effect where the salt lands. This one may become a Queen Anne's Lace painting - we'll see! The one on the right is more watercolors dropped on 6" square gessoboard. This time, I tried dropping rice on the surface as it is "supposed" to soak up the water/color and leave little lightened areas where the rice landed. Alas, that experiment was somewhat less successful, although it did dry with some interesting rice shapes. Who knows what will become of that one!

Experiment #3: using 4"x6" DaVinci pro panels with different textural surfaces, I applied a single color to each panel. The green panel is very smooth. I did sprinkle Sea Salt on this one, but it's barely apparent. The panel on the right has a very rough, almost sandy, texture and it took the paint beautifully! But it was all-over blah, so I did some blotting with a scrunched up paper towel to create some texture. This one is also awaiting a decision as to how to proceed.

And it's been cold, icy, and snowy in central PA, as well as many other places across the country. The Bluebirds are coming quite regularly now that the ground is totally frozen and bugs are in very short supply. I have a worm feeder hanging on our porch and they come swooping in to have meal worms as a winter diet. Normally, they like living bugs/worms and berries, but they'll settle for dried meal worms, when all else fails! Here are some photos taken in the past week of some of our visitors.

Three Bluebirds awaiting their turns at the worm feeder on our porch. Two males, one female.