2021 Have you reflected lately? Take a look in my “Mirror , Mirror"

 First of all, my apologies...I  dropped off posting after September as the last months of 2020 took me in several very busy new directions , despite Covid. We left Texas in the over 100 degree heat that blankets this area in summer to spend time with our California family. They have a home in Pacific Grove with temps reaching a pleasant 70 degrees in the summer. As always, the experience and travel taught me how to look at literally everything with a new appreciation of the beauty all around me. 

I want to start 2021 with a renewed examination of reflections...are you interested?

 

I want to share the sequence of techniques and colors I used to create reflection in my current start of the year painting titled " Mirror, Mirror". Reflections are a mirrored image of the object they reflect and they create a wonderful opportunity to showcase what some may take for granted....light. I chose crystal because it is prismatic with sharp tiny slivers of changing color and value. 

I started by creating a scene with crystal objects in my home: a pitcher, two ornate decanters with glasses from Russia and Budapest and a crystal ash tray ( not from this girl but my parents both smoked). I love this bowl from that era which was likely made in Germany. The table reflected the glass just as I hoped.

            Take a close look at the prisms formed as light bounces in the cuts of the glass.

 Pebeo masking fluid (blue) was applied to my sketch to preserve the whites of the paper. Paper is Fabriano Artistico 140# 18" x24".

Next came my underpainting using a spray bottle and just red, yellow and blue. To be specific, Quinacridone Red, Cobalt Blue and Hansa Yellow. Next I decided to try Viridian Green rather than mix my greens due to its vibrancy and also added the warmer Quinacridone Gold to this group. It was a good decision.  I splashed a little of these same colors randomly then let it dry for a few hours.

Using a larger pointed round brush, I chose to paint some background shadows and also within each individual shape . I splattered each color again to add texture to my left background. My goal is always to have the 4 sides be different and if warm on top, cooler on the bottom or vice versa.

After drying I removed the masking fluid. It was probably on the paper for 3 days total and removed easily. Lots of white to play with ...

Time to zero in with a smaller brush on dry paper. I used a rigger or liner to add details in the crystal. And here I am as I write this at about 75% done....I will add the finished product so check my blog again in the next week.

  

This Uniball Signo pen then allowed the white fine lines. They are opaque , inexpensive and easy to use:

https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-Signo-Broad-UM-153-Gel-Pen-White-Ink/pd/380

Let me know if you would like to be added to my email list for future work shops. We will meet on Zoom on "Watercolor Wednesdays" starting in mid February. Contact me at carolsuewitt@gmail.com for more details and cost.

Happy Painting!

Carol Sue

PS

We spent two months in California with the Pacific Ocean just 6 blocks away. The rocky coastline, crashing waves and skies that seemed to never end are all puzzling soothing to view and I'm anxious to attempt to capture the phenomenon on paper. It is a powerful, full of rhythm and life. Stay tuned for my painting of Asilomar Beach currently under construction which will include a lot of tiny rhythmic lines done with my Uniball pen. It's like making lace... only harder. But that's my next blog.

 Meanwhile I’m almost there... 

Am I done? Close

Here is a value study for you