DEMOS

The first painting posted here was created this week during a demo for the Western Ohio Watercolor Society, and it's on YUPO, painted with FLUID ACRYLICS. The second painting is on 140# rough Arches, with nearly the same scene from Venice and painted with Transparent Watercolors only. It was painted as a demo the day before for one of the weekly classes I teach.

The result was two totally different moods just because the paper surfaces were so different. The quiet serenity of the Arches painting looks more like Venice looked when we were there last year. But, the YUPO painting feels more like I FELT when we were in Venice last year. Hope that makes some sort of sense.

Each person will have reasons for liking one over the other. I'd love to know what you think.

"GRAND CANAL GONDOLIERS" Fluid Acrylics on Heavy Weight YUPO 21 x 15"
and
"GRAND CANAL GONDOLAS" Transparent Watercolor on 140#R Arches 21 x 13" COLLECTED

This is the painting before changes were made to unify it more - see comments for details of what was changed. THANKS to Kathy's good eye!

CHOP AND CROP

Tomorrow evening I'll be doing a demo at the Springfield Museum of Art in Springfield, Ohio for the Western Ohio Watercolor Society. YUPO and FLUID ACRYLICS are on the menu, and this post shows a recent YUPO painting after an extreme makeover.

This painting was warm and cozy - see below - but changed now to be cool with hot accents in the focal areas. Lots of cropping was also involved. Using fluid acrylics on YUPO allows for an infinite number of changes and a million possibilities. Tomorrow evening should be lots of fun - and challenging, too.

"EVENING RIDE" Fluid Acrylics on YUPO 12 x 17"


Original look of painting
before adjustments,
as shown above

GONE

Saturday morning, a young man died whom I'd been praying for. REALLY praying for.

There are no answers that explain why a vibrant young father should die. The doctors' expertise along with the many thousands of prayers in the past month did not prevent his death.

The bottom line for me was that there was no one to blame but God. He could have stopped this and didn't. That hurt so much. Of course I told Him what I thought - loud and clear - how angry I was and just how I felt, many many times today.

This painting, done a couple of years ago, seems to 'hold' what I'm finally feeling now. The sense of despair is vanishing. Finally, after all my yelling, something healing is taking the place of the anger and blame. There's a perfect peace..... no answers to explain..... but His pure tender presence, deeper and new, full of LOVE and HOPE. The deep sadness and pain remain, but the blaming, the resentment, the anger are gone, removed so gently by Jesus.

We won't KNOW, will we, until we see HIM face to face? Until then, it's faith.

"THE WAIT" Oil on Canvas 6 x 10"