Take a Painting Break by Painting Something You Love

                 'Lost in the Weeds'                       10x13                 pastel             ©Karen Margulis                                                                               available in my Etsy shop $175                                                                       

After a month out of my comfort zone  it was time to get back into the weeds! I had fun pushing myself to paint the still life. It is a great month so far on Patreon with so much wonderful work being shared by the group. As the month draws to a close I just wanted to paint some tangled weeds and let go!  This is a great way to work and grow. Spending time with the unfamiliar helps you do a better job with the familiar.

I decided to use an older watercolor underpainting for my tangled scene. The underpainting had similar shapes found in my new reference photos and was filled with rich darks. This dark would form the foundation for the composition and would hold all the details in place. In a field or meadow I like to think of this dark block in as the DIRT. The dirt holds onto the roots and prevents the grasses and flowers from floating.

I enjoyed letting go and responding to this painting intuitively building the layers and layers of dirt, grass and flowers. It is so liberating to paint things that are not perfect and don't have to be perfect to look good. I'll take a patch of weeds anyway over a vase or pitcher of flowers. It is a great learning experience to change gears but it always feels good to come home. 

a closer look

Using a watercolor underpainting