In the Studio with…
Sally Stormon, Central New York Branch
Go with the Flow
On a cool, overcast day in April, I went for a walk in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. There was drizzle in the air, I could hear chickadees and nuthatches calling through the trees, and the scent of pine told me that I was in the wilderness.
The trail wound up a mountain, crossing and recrossing a little stream swollen from the past few days of rain. Powerful, moss-covered boulders dictated the stream’s flow and I thought, “I want to paint that!”
Back in the studio a few days later, I began making value sketches. As I work out my ideas in pencil on paper, I think about composition, shapes, colors, and the placement of the light and dark colors for maximum impact. In this situation, I thought I might make more than one painting using different color palettes and different compositions.
With the basic composition roughed out, I make a simple line drawing on watercolor paper. Watercolor is transparent, so you must plan where to put the paint, where you want the white of the paper to show through, and where the darkest shapes will be. The paint is applied in stages, starting with the lightest colors and gradually working toward the darks.
Although I have a plan in mind, at some point the painting begins telling me what it wants. I view watercolor painting as a conversation between the paint, the paper, and the artist. The artist is not completely in control of what happens in watercolor, and being able to “go with the flow” is essential.
The painting goes through several ugly stages as I build up layers of light colors and values. It’s interesting to use several techniques such as wet-in-wet, lost-andfound edges, and dry brush to show texture and emotion.
The finished paintings express the power of the boulders, the swiftness of the rushing water, and the beauty of a day spent appreciating nature.
The process, from top: 1. Original photo for inspiration. 2. Composition and value sketch. 3. “Every watercolor goes through an ugly stage.” 4. Final painting. Bottom image shows a different view and palette.