Unveiling #30: “The Purity of Watercolor”

I know that of the past 3 weeks’ washes, this one is the most lackluster of them all, but in many ways it is my most successful one! Let me explain… For two different reasons, I have always manipulated watercolors: One, because I fight it to avoid the water stains. Two, because I am a stickler for deep, rich hues, I employ a technique called “glazing” which is layering the coats of paint after each layer dries. Because of both of these reasons, my work rarely showcases the fluidity and transparency of the medium. So, bottom line, aside from the lightest areas of my work, I rarely apply one layer of paint and leave it alone…especially “to its own devices” (otherwise water stains would occur).

Even in the past two week’s washes I manipulated the paint to create rich color and water stains; and that was how I approached the countless practices those two weeks… ‘trying’ to create stains. But this week was very different. I did seven practice washes and with only one of them did I try to create water stains. All the rest I just painted a wash and waited for it to do its own thing. I didn’t add additional water (how you force a water stain), tilt the paper to direct the staining or add additional layers of paint for richer colors. Nope, I just painted it and let it be. That is HUGE for me!!!! It’s un-tweaked and I love the purity and simplicity of this piece as a result. Yes, I would have loved the color to have been richer, but that is what happens in a wash since I am putting paint on top of water. The color that I mixed and started out with on my palette was actually very deep in hue, so as they say, “it is what it is”.

I am really excited over the growth I saw in myself this past week as I approached each try with a laid back attitude to do my thing and then wait for the paints to do theirs…with no manipulating involved. As hard as that was for me, there was something very freeing in that. I am really hoping that so much of what I have gleaned and gained these past few weeks will come out in my work that is to come. Stay tuned… If you missed my post which explains this year-long challenge, please read You’re Invited To The Unveilings.

*Okay, so I wrote all that you just read on Saturday knowing how full my Sunday and Monday were going to be. Then yesterday (Sunday), God led me to a blog post by Holley Gerth entitled “The Secret Strength of Patience” which brought a deeper understanding to all the Lord is walking me through with this art challenge. Here are excerpts that spoke most to me…

• Better to be patient than powerful. {Prov. 16:32}
• “…I realize I want power over certain things. I want to control how my day will go. I want people to like me. I want to do my work flawlessly. And to make sure that happens, I push. I try hard. I rush and hustle.
• And all of this, I suddenly see, is different than patience. Because patience is about receiving. It’s about believing that everything will work out.
• But patience also requires giving up control, it means surrendering our perceived power. This is hard and scary for me. Yet it is also what our weary souls long for, what they are really hoping will be the outcome of all our efforts.
• Patience isn’t just about time; it’s also about trust. It’s about saying, “I don’t have to be in control. I don’t have to hold the power because I know the One who does.”

If Holley’s words are resonating with you like they did me, you can read her entire post here.