Happy Birthday Matisse!

It's the birthday of painter Henri Matisse (1869), born in Le Cateau, France. As a child and a young man, he had no interest in art. He went to law school in Paris and never visited a single museum. Had it not been for a case of appendicitis, he might never have become an artist. Bedridden for several weeks during his recovery, he took up painting as a way to pass the time. It was a revelation. He said, "For the first time in my life I felt free, quiet, and alone ... carried along by a power alien to my life as a normal man." At 22, he quit the law to begin work as a full-time artist. He was a revolutionary who dressed like a bourgeois, and he once said, "It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else." Article taken from Garrison Keillor's blog today.

Two Different WC techniques

This is watercolor on canvas.

I am using Peg Furlin's technique of "fracturing". I took my inspiration from a catalog I found showcasing interesting vases. One of my downfalls are vases and "containers". And I also love still lifes. I liked the idea of contrasting the linear painting with a few citrus tossed into the frame. And the flowers help to throw a little something more organic into the painting.

I thought I would try a different triad of color this time. Quin gold, several shades of brown, and aliz. crimson. At first I used a kind of Quin Sienna for the red but my hubby critiqued it and he said it needs to be punched up with RED. I think in this case he was quite right!!! I punched up the center of interest with black.

Originally, in the first wash I went too dark. (I am learning as I go along.) So all the white (slightly stained white) was the same color as the color strips leading out of the interior of the painting. Pretty colors but not what I was looking for. So I used a Mr. Clean sponge to wipe out as much as possible. I got almost back to white and didn't mind a little staining at all. I think one of the things about "fracturing" that pleases my eye, is the "mat" look of having an interior painting. Making the mat too dark makes you lose this. However, there are no set rules about it and there is no reason the mat couldn't be dark and the interior light. To try another day?

This little painting is a demo I started in my wc class a few weeks ago...using a John Lovett video for inspiration and also using one of his paintings for inspiration. I traced my drawing and handed it out to the gals and we all painted the same scene this time. I don't like to do that too much but sometimes it's nice to have a drawing that includes a lot of the techniques you want to teach. This had old bricks and stones to paint and then to "ink" and bleed. And it fit well with that gesso or gouache technique of softening the edges with a hake brush. I used "opera" for the curtains in the window to pop that center of interest. It's a tiny painting...just 7 x 11". (an 8th of sheet of Arches.)

I find this a pleasing little painting. Something nice about the slightly open door too, don't you think? Inviting?

Saving my Lizard Painting

This painting that comes first is the "touched up" version. Scroll down below to the original painting.

I used a John Lovett technique to soften the edges of this too-busy painting (using white gouache and a hake brush).

I also darkened the center of interest and added a little more pizzaz to the redder of the lizards. And a little yellow green to the larger lizard to make him stand out a bit more.

This original painting was "okay" but awfully busy and with no center of interest to draw the eye to.

Watercolor on Arches 140#

11 x 15 (quarter sheet)

Note: These are little gems are actually called

Green Anoles

Ginny on Steve Humes CD jacket

I posted about this once before...but now the album (Exit 32) is out and for sale! My little sketch is on the back.

Steve has a sort of "Jimmy Buffet" sound (in my opinion) and uses guitar, banjo, flute, fiddles, etc. Really a nice sound. What fun!

You can find out how to order here. $10.

Steve manages to capture such diverse human experiences as living out of grocery carts near Interstate Exit ramps, to interpreting the songs of Cuckoo birds on overhead wires. A talented ensemble of musicians are also heard in this artful collection, including his effervescent wife, Leigh, who has an impressive list of accomplishments of her own in the bay area music community. Other familiar names include Rebecca Zapen, Tami Wingard of Hannah's Whirl, the legendary Joe Lala, the nationally recognized songster who "digs rock and roll music" Jim Mason, and Guitar Sal Belloise, who in this case is showing his skills on the Flute. A healthy assortment of other artists also come together to give Steve an easy off ramp at Exit 32. With stories of the heart and human aspiration, this Steve Humes collection of songs should earn him recognition as Tampa Bay's Musical Poet Laureate.

Fun Ways to Share Art

The Seno Woodland Education Center is now offering products to raise $ for the environmental center in Burlington, WI.

All the products feature my watercolor images! How cool is that?!!!

Here you see a kitchen magnet, a tile coaster and a framed tiles. But there are tee shirts, hats, bags, mugs, etc.

Click here to see the array of very nice products at very reasonable prices.

All the sketches were either en plein air or studio paintings from photographs at the Seno Center in Burlington, Wisconsin.

You can find out more about the center by clicking here.

Fractured

Based on Peg Furlin's workshop...I did a demo for my wc class today...watercolor on canvas. We only have about two hours to work together...these gals REALLY catch on fast. I hope to post some of their work in a couple weeks.

Peg has coined the term "fractured wc" for this technique. What I need to work on now are ways to make the colors choices I use more harmonious and interesting. Peg is currently working with a lot of grays, browns and blacks...very limited palette. Hard for me...I LOVE color.

This old truck was photos in Key West and I have painted it before with the bed of the truck planted in lost of wild bushes. The truck itself slowly rusting itself into the ground. It sits outside a restaurant...some old fish shanty type. I call this "The Lemon". I did use some stamping on this. But found it way too distracting for a beginner in this sort of technique. A lot of the stamps got lifted off. I also used a lot of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to lift off the white areas. Peg's tip.

The wc canvas is very forgiving. You can wash it off and start all over if you wish.

I have two others started I'd like to work on this week while it's all fresh in my mind.

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

This is the week my hubby has his second surgery to connect the deep brain stimulation to the battery operated pacemaker. Friday morning is the big day! Wish us luck.

Peg Furlin's WC on canvas workshop

We all arrived in a downpour at the Center for the Arts in Leesburg, FL for Peg's class. But by noon it was hot and sunny again!

Many there had not painted on canvas before. Peg talked alot of about using canvas. Several brands are available and they are all slightly different. Fredrix WC canvas got into the game early and have patented the name WC canvas. But there are others now: Paramount, Yes, and Edge were 3 others she mentioned. All are available in the online mail catalogs. She mentioned she gets her's at Jerry's Artarama.

I worked on two different ones. The palm tree was a 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas by Paramount.

And the little boat scene was an 11 x 14 YES canvas on board. The Paramount required that I scrub the surface before priming in order to reduce the "puddle" effect of the coating.

But YES canvas on board should not be scrubbed (which I did not know) as it is cheaper and the scrubbing removes all the sizing and then the watercolor "bleeds".

Lucky for me, the subject matter of the smaller painting made the "bleeding" issue just part of the watery look. I have already made some changes to the boats...adding darks and making a connection to the edge at the bottom. More photos later.

Although I have worked on canvas many times before...I learned SO much in this one day workshop.

Peg has been working a lot lately on abstracts. This was one she brought along to show. Check out Peg's website gallery for a variety of subject matter.

She will be showing in the Mt. Dora, Florida Art Show the first weekend in February.

En Plein Air again!

Our hostess today was my friend, Dawn, who has lovely home on Lake Eustis.

8 or so artists gathered there this morning starting out in overcast but ending in beautiful sunshine. Dawn gave up painting to be our hostess making chili and cornbread! Oh yum.

Despite the fact that it was 85 degrees...the chili tasted great (it IS November after all.) and a slight breeze kept the temperature just about right all day and there was SO much lovely shade from her huge trees filled with spanish moss.

We had birds calling around us all morning and butterflies galore. She says they have a wonderful huge owl who sings to them at night. The lake reflected the sky as white which is the way I painted it...but as the clouds cleared to show more blue, then more blue appeared in the water....so I am going to have to go back and touch up the water a little.

This was done in acrylic. And I haven't done anything in acrylic for many many months! Can't even remember the last thing! Surely something back in August up north!

I started with my usual orange prime coat (for tropical scenes). And I worked 16 x 20 which is really too large for en plein air!

But I just felt like working with big brushes today!

I was tired afterwards...4 hours (broken in half with lunch) on my feet in 85 degrees. I'll sleep well tonight!

Susan Lansdown 75 day sketch complete

Susan is one of our Sassy Sketchers...and since we all started together last August, we are all ending together in October!!!

Susan also sent a picture of the first substantial snow fall in Minocqua, Wisconsin (where Greg and I summer).

Susan and Leslie are "holding down the fort" until the rest of us snow birds return.

We had close to 80 today here in central FL.

A slight cool down around 70 tomorrow but back up to 80 by Monday.

I admit her yard looks more like two weeks to Thanksgiving than my yard. But I have learned to adjust!. Over the river and through the woods still applies. Just not a sleigh. We go by golf cart here!

Receiving my Artistic License!

How totally fun is this!

When the Sassy Sketcher's signed up with Brenda Swenson on her blog to do the 75 days challenge of doing a pen and ink sketch for 75 days....Brenda promised to send us a license at the completion.

SO...it came in the mail today. All the way from California to Florida!

How nice is THAT!

And all in plastic so you can carry it around and show it off. :-)

Here I am after just opening the mail today (with my studio behind me).

Check out Brenda's wonderful blog posts here.

Joan Stephens Finishes up her 75 Day Sketch Challenge

The Sassy Sketchers are gradually coming to a finish on this particular project!!!

It was great to hear from Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) and hear that she made it through too!

The holidays are just around the corner now...can you believe it? Our art group here at Hawthorne is making plans to decorate a tree with home made ornaments and Christmas music is in the stores.

My hubby is doing well in his recovery now from surgery and will have his staples out next Thursday. We are on the count down now to Surgery Part II where they will connect now the wires to the stimulator. That will happen on Dec 2.

It is his early Christmas present!

I am busy with my art class here at the park in Florida. I have done a second pour on the watercolor...it's not look too great at this point...but I plan to carry on.

Photo to follow.

Pouring Watercolor Part I

Actually I am posting this for my November 14th watercolor class here in FL.

We are preparing to do a little pouring of watercolor ala Jean Grastorf.

Doing this in a 3 hour lesson won't be easy so I am trying to give the gals a heads up so that they not only have the proper supplies but can have paper ready and a drawing in place by the time we start next Monday.

Here is the basic supply list:

• 1/4 sheet cold press 140# wc paper, stretched.
• at least 3 clear plastic cups for color mixing
• a triad of transparent red,blue, yellow (I plan to use permanent rose, cobalt, and aurolin yellow. But there are many triads.
• a spray bottle
• plastic cloth for table
• something to catch the paint (a jelly roll pan? aluminum throw aways kinds from Publix work okay) also an old terry towel and paper towel.
• a drawing in pencil
• hair dryer
• masking fluid of your choice and some synthetic old small brushes for application
• a rubber pick up
• soap (liquid or solid)
• pencil/eraser
• tape

I am going to use one of Jean's examples from her book Pouring Light. I think we have her permission to use it for practice. If any of the class members would like to use the same drawing, I'll be happy to share the line drawing so you can trace it before class. I will bring copies to the Fine Art Meeting tomorrow morning. I am also going to put faint x's on the first layer of masking. Remember, the masking cannot go on until the paper is BONE dry. Here is a little masking demo that is pretty good (click here) but I would recommend that when using a paint brush that you wet your brush, dip it in soap or rub on a bar of soap, dip in water again and then put on the masking. It will make you brush last a LOT longer.

If you click on Jean's name above and go to her gallery you will see the drawing as a completed painting there.

You might notice in the picture that I have a "sharpened popsicle stick" in the supply photo. It is one of my favorite applicators for masking fluid!

If you have not ever stretched paper. I'd recommend you click here and look at Cheap Joe's video of how to stretch paper. (note the drawing is on it first!!!). At the end of the process, you will want to staple the paper down starting at the four corners and then in the middle of each side, and then every 3" or so. Then let it dry at least overnight before you come to class.

I think we will all have better luck with the pouring having the paper tightly secured to the board. Tune in for more art!

Leslie Johnson completes her 75 day sketching Challenge!

The group of gals (The Sassy Sketchers) who started out about at the same time on this challenge in August...are, of course, finishing up at about the same time. We were all in the north woods of Wisconsin at that time.

Some of us have fled to FL now but Leslie and Susan stay on through the winter and brave the cold but often beautiful forests and lakes of Wisconsin.

Congratulations Leslie!

Here is Leslie's lovely False Solomon Seal with red berries...one of her favorite final sketches.

I posted one of her sketches much earlier (the Jelly Jars). Here is what she says she is doing with that sketch.

I did make copies of my jelly jars, colored only one in in red for interest, and then ran them off on 4 x 4 cards with ideas on the back of each card of what to do with the various jellies I am giving my family for Christmas. I'll put a card in each of their baskets. Fun!

Completing the 75 day challenge

Well, I knew when I started back in August that I was doing a "count down" to my husband's DBS surgery (Deep Brain Stimulation).

It seemed only right to make this last sketch right in his room as he rested up from a very emotional few days!

The surgery was VERY successful and Greg was able to feel how it is going to be when the second operation happens on Dec 2. He was able to write his name, draw a circle and hold a cup. Things he has not been able to do with that hand for over 10 years!

He was up and walking in the room 3 hours after surgery!

Day 74 was done in the waiting room looking out toward the street in front of Shands Hospital (U of FL) in Gainesville.

Greg will have a second surgery on Dec 2 to implant a stimulator device (somewhat like a pacemaker) with a battery that will activate the wire now in his brain.

It is all science-fiction stuff to us!

So many kudos to the staff and doctors and nurses at Shands. They are fantastic!!!

Greg did not feel much pain but is very tired.

Thanks for all the kind messages we have received.

Watercolor Class #1: Masa Paper

We had a fun time at watercolor class in the Fine Arts room at Hawthorne Park this morning from 9 to noon. About a dozen of us experimenting with masa paper (rice paper) and wc paper.

It was so nice to see folks again and be painting together!!!

This was my demo this morning.

Geraniums in a window box.

Sheila suggested maybe showing "lattice work" on the bottom of the painting. Behind the long strings of leaves. I think that has a lot of merit, don't you?

Tune in later for my finish up.

Cynthia Edmonds demo (oil)

Cynthia is a Winter Park, FL artist.

She did the demo for the Leesburg Art Association October meeting last Saturday.

Although she works in oil mostly she also has experience in acrylic. I have signed up for her two-day workshop in February (in acrylic).

She tones her canvas in yellows and golds first. Draws in with oil and then begins.

You can see some images in her gallery here. The house painting was done previous to her demo. Almost all her work is en plein air.

Note: I am now on Day 72 of my 75 day Sketch Challenge. Greg and I leave for Gainesville to prepare for his surgery tomorrow night so the last 3 days of the challenge will be Monday, Tues and Wed. Wed is the day of his surgery. It will be sort of amazing to be finishing up at the hospital. But I have known for a long time that the final day would be this special event. Watch for more in days to come. Keep us in your prayers.

75 day sketching Challenge Day 63 & 64

The scenes are Fl scenes now.

As I fall now into the last weeks of the challenge. The corner of my Florida room on a sunny afternoon and a tiny bit of the patio out back. Actually yesterday was day # 65 and that one is done also. So 10 sketches left in the challenge. It's been a pretty interesting "journey" and I know that I have seen artistic growth!

The interesting thing (to me)...or ONE of the interesting things is that this challenge turned out to be a "count down" to my husband's surgery date. I knew this when I started. The last sketch will be while he is in surgery.

On Oct 26 Greg is having DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery to help alleviate the severe tremor in his right hand from a genetic disease called Essential Tremor. The surgery will be done at U of Fl hospital (Shands) in Gainesville, FL. Anyone who could throw a few prayers our way, it would be welcome! There is a fascinating 45 sec video of how the procedure goes that you might like to view if you have no idea what DBS involves. He will be awake during the whole thing! Click here.

Every time I look at this video tears come to my eyes. The correction that happens at that moment is JUST what we are praying for. Greg will experience this during the surgery BUT he will have to "detached" from the electric stimulus after surgery and he won't be re-connected until he has a pace maker stimulator gets put in on Dec 2. So we need to pray for patience too. We wait and wait and then wait some more!

Meanwhile, my faith and my art has been my saving graces...they hold me and center me and set my my mind in peace.

I am currently preparing for a watercolor class I'll teach one week from today. And still trying to find things in my studio, get unpacked here and organized.

My en plein air FL friends are trying to set up some dates to paint together again too. I think we are going to try to get together on Nov 11 at the Eustis Sailing Club to do some sketches! They are getting ready for a regatta there! If weather cooperates.

Malcolm Carver

I wanted to add one more comment about sketching today. In the latest issue of International Artist (page 120) is a GREAT article by Malcolm Carver on "The Art of Seeing".

And on the second page he shows his tools

which include the same Cotman painting kit I use AND an iPad!

I checked and his website and it is not all that great. But the article has a lot of good information about the reason we all sketch rather than take photos for everything.

Day 61 and 62 of the 75 day Sketch Challenge

Kind of feel like I am in the home stretch now with only 13 days left in the challenge!

This is my studio in Florida (or a small part of it) and I am now stacking videos and books on the desk trying to get some sense of order! Arrrrr....gh. It's going slowly.

I did the table one day and the chair today so am counting it as two days sketching. Kinda stretching it today.

Doing the Sketch of the Mill

I met SO many lovely folks while I was sketching the mill picture last Thursday in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Folks who were artists came by to visit and folks who wished they were! Several asked for my card (glad I had a few tucked into my sketchbook!).

I am up to date on my 75 day sketches too...I will post them later. AND I've been hearing from my Sassy Sketcher friends who have been en plein air in Indian Summer weather too! And from Susan in CA too! Such fun.

We are in Florida as of last night...85 and humid. Takes getting used to!

Last Day on the Blue Ridge

Did a half hour sketch of Mabry Mill near the 170 mile marker on the Blue Ridge in VA on Thursday. Wonderful cloudless skies and warm sunshine! We found more tree color south of Roanoke. It couldn't have been more perfect.

We are now in SC on Lake Wylie with my sister and brother-in-law. I laid my sketchbook on my sister's jigsaw puzzle table to snap photo with iPad2. I am not counting these sketches as part of my 75 day challenge because I do them in pencil, watercolor them and add micron .005 ink pen afterwards.

The old grist mill is part of a working walkthrough exhibit with many docents working in there making apple butter and gardening and blacksmithing, etc.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sketching on my iPad2

I know this looks more like a contour drawing today! But I did this little "sketch" of the lamp, my brief case, etc that was sitting on the motel desk beside me with a stylus on my iPad! Hey, when you are traveling you do the best you can! Hahaha. Gotta keep up with my assignments! We are in West Virginia now and headed into the Blue Ridge after breakfast.


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Day 51 and 52

I did a few out door sketches on the last two days at my daughter's home in s.e. WI. The weather has turned golden and looks, feels and smells now like Indian Summer.

The sun feels warm on your back and makes you feel like taking long walks.
Knowing I'll be car riding alot in the next few days has sent me outside.

We are re-packing the car now for the last 7 days of the trip.
It is fun to anticipate seeing our old Blue Ridge Mountains again. We should roll in there on Wednesday. We have reservations at the Peaks of Otter lodge that night.

I'll be getting out my travel journal now.


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Ginny's 50th College Reunion

Today I am thinking back over the last few days to my college reunion at Beloit College in Beloit, WI. In the photo are a few remembrances. Each of us received the golden hood (which we proudly wore all weekend). Our name tags bore our graduation photo from the year book. WHO is that girl?

It was a bittersweet weekend for many reasons. On the back of the program was a list of everyone who has passed away since the the 25th reunion. My heart ached to read Pamela Hurlbut Troop. I haven't seen her in 48 years...but I always held out the hope of one seeing her again. So many adventures together.

But the old friends who were there were filled with laughter and good stories made the event so worthwhile. So we alternated between hilarity and nostalgia. An emotional weekend to be sure.
The weather was nippy but dry and sunny. The campus is very pretty. It was strange to walk in the places we walked so long ago. I think everyone took some time to do this alone. We were all so aware of much time has passed. This does put one in a reflective mood.


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75 day Sketching Challenge: Day 47-50

These sketches were all done while visiting my daughter, Beth, in WI. She'll hopefully recognize everything in them! I also took the photo references with my iPad2. (Rather than downloading them from my camera.) It is the first time I've tried doing that!

Today was my 50th college reunion at Beloit College. What fun to see old friends. Also sobering to see the list of those who have passed away. I thought it coincidental that I did my 50th sketch today, don't you?

I hope that the sassy Sketchers will send some photos after Oct 10 so I can post their work as well.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Travel Blogs

I am still working on the sketch challenge and will soon be headed toward the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. Until then here is a fall painting I did some years ago in WI.






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75 day Challenge day 41,42 and 44

Now I am experimenting with taking a photo, downloading it to the iPad and attaching to a blog post.

The numbers are not always consecutive in my sketch book as I bounce around looking for spaces that fit the size I want.

Day 41 was my last sketch (top left) at the cabin. Day 42 (top right) my first sketch at my daughter's home in Fontana, WI.

One downside is that so far I haven't figured out if I can crop or adjust photos on the iPad.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

75 day sketching Challenge Day 37 & 38

As our last two days at the summer cabin unfold...I find myself in the usual emotional sort of limbo. Anxious to get "home" to Florida and anticipating the interesting driving trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains and visiting friends and relatives. At the same time going through a sad farewell to a place we hoard up special memories with the grandkids and with nature.

This old chair came with the cabin and Greg has threatened to replace it a number of times but I just can't let it go. The Swan's Head arm rests are not that rare...I see them a garage sales all the time. But, as I say...it is old and full of nostalgia and I am guessing it will last as long as I do at least. We have had to make room in our lives for many changes. But you need to hang on to a few old things for nostalgia!

We went for our last canoe ride on Tippecanoe Lake for a few hours yesterday. The sunshine called us down to the quiet shores. We were the only boat out on the lake. Most of the piers have been pulled up on shore now for the long cold winter ahead. Fish swam under the canoe in the clear, clear water and huge boulders reached up from under the water looking dark and secretive. Water skimmer bugs flitted away from the canoe as we parted through them and although we searched, we are sure the loons are gone now. We did see many eagles soaring over us. A balm for the soul. And a good farewell ride.

Part of our pier frame rolls up on shore on wheels. So while Greg tidied up the boat house, I sat in the warm sunshine (in sweatshirt and wind breaker) and sketched my daily sketch. The lilly pads have all changed colors to bright reds and yellows but not much color in the trees along the shore yet. Probably another two weeks for that. And we can't wait around.

We leave on Thursday. Weather forecast is rain and a high of 47 degrees that day. YIKES! It's 88 in Leesburg, FL. We'll spend 18 days on the road during which time I won't be posting.

I hope my faithful readers won't give up on me. I should have some nice sketches (and some from my travel sketchbook in color) after the trip.

I did purchase a blogging app for my iPad but have not had time to work with it yet. Another learning curve. Happy fall, everyone. And safe travels to all. See you in October.

Approaching Masa Paper & WC in a slightly different Way

I meant to put these in proper order from start to finish, but see that I reversed them. Sigh. One of those days.

So you will need to go down to the 4th picture which is the first picture and "read up". See what I mean?

Step 4: I added colors for the flowers using only mixtures of that same triad I started with.

Step three: I remembered that I wanted the watering can a dark color to emphasize the pattern in the paper and so I used turquoise pretty much straight for the can (note bleeding which takes place naturally with this rice paper). I tried to remember to use some value changes as I painted because it is almost impossible to lift once it is try.

Step Two: Using pencil, I transferred the ink drawing to the masa paper (using a light box). Using the triad of colors I chose: raw sienna, winsor newton red, and turquoise, I re-wet the masa paper with a wide brush (very gently). I might have used a misting bottle as well. Holding the paper upright and letting the colors blend. Yellow first, then red, then blue.

Dry throughly (see hair dryer in photo.)

Step One: Same photo as yesterday's post only this time I actually drew out the subject matter (in much smaller scale...about 1/8th of sheet of wc paper). It was drawn in ink on a sheet of drawing paper. (I guess I could have counted this as my sketch for the 75 day challenge, couldn't I?)

Then I also played with a few triads of color for the painting on a strip of wc paper below.

I prepared the masa paper as in yesterday's post, crinkling, wetting, glueing and then letting it dry overnight.

Watercolor on Masa Paper

One last little project for the studio before I pack up for Florida....

I am teaching a class in Florida on Oct 24 using masa paper and watercolor. I wanted to do a little demo first and be sure that I remembered what supplies are needed for this project.

I thought it might be neat to ask you bloggers out there if you have done a similar project and have any new hints for ways you have adapted this.

I put the photos in sequence on this one. Materials first...140# cold or hot press paper (not rough), masa paper in about the same size as the wc paper, old brush for glue, YES glue, and a small brayer or roller. Tape the wc paper down on all 4 sides. (note you can substitute Elmer's white glue watered down slightly to a creamy mixture.)

Then crumple the masa paper up (note the X on one corner.) You need to mark the rough side of the paper with an X first. After you wet it, you will no idea which side is which. I glue the slick side down, rough side up.

After crumbling you thoroughly WET the paper. Then squeeze out all the excess and glue the masa to the wc paper with YES glue. You will then use the brayer starting in the center to smooth the paper out over the wc paper.

I suggest picking a photo of something very simple with simple shapes. I use a hair dryer to dry MOST of the paper...leaving it slightly damp for the first application. You can leave it overnight and then just spray the papers again to dampen the surface. Getting it completely dry first allows you to do some drawing on the masa. It must be totally dry for any pencil marks to show up. I did not use any pencil on this sample.

I like colors to spread out in lovely bleeds for the first wash of color.

One thing I did forget since the last time I did one was that darker colors show up the masa textures best. Next time I'd do the watering can in a darker color. I am using a #12 Dreamcatcher brush (round) for first washes.

See how the wonderful texture shows up on the dark blue stripes in the background? This would have been so much more effective with a darker watering can. That is what you want to feature.

I'd suggest that you make up 5 or 6 small pieces of this textured ground and then experiment with lots of different subjects on it. Very fun.

The folks who signed up for my class will get a preview this way of what we are going to do!!!