The Process
Watercolour begins with a plan. Then water usually changes it.
I generally start with observation and drawing, thinking about the composition, gesture and areas that matter most.
From there, the process becomes increasingly intuitive.
Transparent washes establish the atmosphere. Colours begin to interact. Some edges are controlled while others are allowed to soften or disappear. Layers are added gradually, but I try not to cover every mark or correct every unexpected result.
For me, those imperfections are often what make a watercolour feel alive.
Observation
Composition, gesture and the areas that matter most.
Washes
Transparent layers establish the atmosphere.
Layers
Colours interact; some edges held, others let go.
Leaving it
Not every mark covered, not every accident corrected.
From idea to painting
An idea that refuses to leave
A painting may begin with a photograph, a sketch, something I have seen while travelling, an expression, an old memory or simply an idea that refuses to leave.
I may spend considerable time thinking and drawing before touching the final sheet of paper.
But once the painting begins, I try to give the medium enough freedom to surprise me.
This section documents some of those journeys — from the first thought and sketch to colour studies, work in progress and the completed painting.