We started with the basics. I did not mind learning all over again about
the color wheel and basic design principles. It felt as if oil was
being applied to rusty gears. Somewhere within me something began to
move again and it felt so good. A degree in art from 48 years ago mattered
little. This is where I needed to begin anew. I attempted to pretend
that I knew nothing and wanted to be a clean slate. But the old
learnings surfaced on their own. After a few days in the studio we went
on a field trip to a small town northwest of Ghost Ranch. We did two
sketches in one town, then two sketches in another. The rest of the week
we spent in the studio developing our sketches and painting. Here's a
photo of my first subject and the painting that I completed.
A little awkward and stiff. (Looks even more awkward with the paper edges showing.) But I've preferred landscapes in the past so I was pleased that I made a building the subject of my first watercolor. I was intentionally pushing myself away from my usual inclinations. Ha! Fooled myself: Wouldn't you know that my first subject would be a church?
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