Snow Day...
Snow Day, originally uploaded by Cathy (Kate) Johnson.
...one of life's little ironies.
It was only supposed to do flurries and a wintry mix in the afternoon, but instead it snowed like crazy most of the day--sometimes so thick you couldn't see Siloam Mountain (which is really a hill, but we have delusions of grandeur.) I decided the first real snow was no time to get out, people act as if they've never driven on snow before in their lives, and beside that first inch or so is the slickest--I didn't want to join them! I called a snow day and stayed home!
I made a lovely garbage soup from the bits and pieces I had in the refrigerator, worked on the computer, read, tested paints, and worked in my journal.
The painting here is the result...my beloved kateslover's house from my bedroom window. Well, since we're married now, I guess it's our house from our bedroom window...;-)
Anyway, this spread was the despised new Fabriano Artistico...as I've said before, it "wasn't broke and SURE didn't need fixing." The new surface is rough, dry, and almost mechanically pebbly, and it buckles MUCH worse than 140 lb. cold pressed Artistico used to...
...but here it was, the next spread of white paper in my journal. So oh well, not like I was going to skip those pages...I forged on ahead, with my new palette full of fresh paints and three large brushes--one 3/4" flat, one # 8 round, and a #6 which I didn't end up using.
It was grim. The first brush I picked up was a flabby old natural hair one that didn't hold enough wash and didn't want to lay down what it HAD--had to go get one with more spring.
Then the paint didn't want to go onto the paper--almost beaded up, skipped, fought me all the way. I had to PUSH the washes into the texture to make it cover at all. (I'm not a fan of rough watercolor paper on the best of days...) Gaaaaaaaah...
Then the paper buckled. Normally, even if I use 90 lb. paper it doesn't buckle much at this size, but...buckle it did. NOT happy.
But I persevered on through to the end, gritting teeth all the way...
Where's the irony? I LOVE the way it turned out. LOVE the effect on that paper. LOVE the texture, and the subtlety
Boy do I hate to admit that...>;-(
I like for the process itself to be pleasurable, not torture...but boy, I do love the way it turned out.
Grmph. Guess I'm going to have to figure out how to make it work better for me....
If the house looks familiar, it's the other end of this one, done last winter, this time from my studio window...
And then of course this one, from this summer--the view THROUGH his house...
There was one of the porch, too, but I can't find it...;-)