International Artist – June-July 2019

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paintings. I have explored other surfaces, but my continued
favorite is Arches because of all the techniques I can use
with it. After my drawing is transferred to my paper,
I stretch it and staple it down. I then apply masking fluid
or masking tape to protect areas of my painting. Whites
are very important to create a shiny looking object. In the
demo, I masked the entire swan with masking tape and
used masking fluid on some of the shapes in the water.
I use a variety of techniques to lay in the paint, including
wet-on-wet, glazing, drybrush and charging in color. The
technique depends on the area I am working and the look
I am trying to achieve. I use wet-on-wet to make areas look
blurry or for mixing color on the paper. Generally, I like
vibrant color and a full range of lights and darks. I always
work with transparent watercolor, and I like the Daniel
Smith brand for its vibrant colors, ease to re-wet and
number of pigments.
For this demo, I used wet-on-wet and glazes. The glazes
were a way to get my bearings in a busy scene, and then
I started building the intensity with more layers. I continued
to work around the scene and make adjustments to get the
pops of color and values right. In the demo, I often chose
one color and painted all the shapes of that color, and then
moved onto the next color. This gave me a road map of the
shapes. Similarly, if I am painting glass or metal, I will often
complete a shape before moving on to a new area, because it
can be very easy to get lost in the reflection.
After completing a majority of the background water
in the demo, I removed the masking fluid, cleaned up or
softened edges, and then painted in the swan with wet-
on-wet and glazes. It is important to have light catch in
the swan’s eye to give him life. I also made sure to add
warm yellows and peaches to make the feathers glow in the
setting sun. When I think a painting is done, I look at it for
a few days to see if it needs anything else, and add glazes or
adjust areas accordingly.
I am often asked how I create realistic-looking reflections in
glass and metal. It is a matter of training my mind to look at
abstract shapes and values in the glass and metal and to paint
those instead of the object. In the end, if all of my values are
strong, the piece will hold together as a metal or glass object.
Painting reflections in water is very similar, but often the
shapes are a little more organic, due to the movement of
the water. I still look for color and value changes and create
detailed drawings to help me find my way while painting.
I have painted not only water lilies, but also figures,
landscapes and birds with graphic reflections in the water.
After 25 years working with watercolor, I am still enamored
with the medium. I enjoy passing on my knowledge to
students and sharing my techniques and love of the art. I will
continue to explore reflections and reflective surfaces in new
settings as I look beyond the objects to the worlds within.
Moonlight Melodies, transparent watercolor, 28 x 20" (71 x 51 cm)
I photographed this scene one night at a marching band competition. The
moon really was out and full! I moved around the band and took various shots
until I found the right angle with good reflections in the horns. The repetition
of the green and red in the horns helped complete the composition.
Little Glass Spheres, transparent watercolor, 9 x 14" (23 x 36 cm)
This painting started as a demonstration for the Colorado Watercolor Society.
Marbles are the perfect glass piece to demo because they reflect objects
around them, are both transparent and opaque, and contain interesting,
abstract, hard- and soft-edged shapes.