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Take a 14X18 canvas. Paint it black. Spread a layer, not too thick, of Golden Crackle Paste. Let it dry so the magic can happen. Add watercolor. It's that easy. Or is it really. It started out as a microscopic look at alcohol, but turned out to be much more. A point came in the process where I began to no longer see the cells, but started to see a map. The way the cracks played with the layers of watercolor, it began to remind me of a shoreline. And, depending upon which orientation you held the artwork, you were either coming home from a journey or about to venture out to sea on one. This prompted what was going to be a 3-piece series on microscopic looks at different alcoholic beverages, to a 5-piece map series. Each canvas started out the same...black acrylic paint, crackle paste, then watercolor. But, with each piece, I grew. With each piece I learned something new. In No. 2, I experimented with color, but still keeping the soft, pale palette. In No. 3 I experimented with techniques to create a shallow underwater feel. No. 4 brought a second watercolor tray and a more intense color. And finally, No. 5 went in a new direction. I learned how to handle the crackle paste and that the major crack lines will form along the direction lines left by the palette knife. I learned how to create an intense color with both dry and moist watercolor trays. I found that it is "easy" to modify a contour line of a land mass with just some water and a paper towel. I found inspiration from my Instagram feed. Images from photographers such as National Geographic, David Loftus, Onthere, spencer_raymond, and purposeofenvy provided my imagination with landscapes and color schemes that were food for my mind and creative spirit. As with many pieces I do, they could be oriented in more than one direction. With lots of looking, and with some help from my facebook friends, I chose which felt most comfortable to look at. I am fascinated that my works does this. I often start with one direction in mind, but as the piece evolves, so does the direction. I am super pleased with my series. I have my favorites, and I am sure you will too. I plan on creating more pieces in this fashion. I really enjoyed creating them.  No. 1
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