Willow

In my last post I talked about how I had artist block.  Well, fortunately for me it didn't last long.  I had been looking at what I painted that night and saw many things in the painting; among them was the willow tree.  There was one vertical section on the left that gave that vibe to me.  The next morning I went about my normal Sunday activity of grocery shopping.  While walking down an aisle I spied those decorating tips used for cakes and I was inspired. 

In my mind's eye, the willow tree could come to life with those tips.  I got home and the moment I had a chance I got to work on figuring out which tip to use.  It didn't take long.  

I then set to work creating the willow strands.  I worked from the bottom to the top and in two sessions--one for the strands in the back and one for the front.  I was worried the texture medium would go transparent as it has in the past, but as luck would have it, they remained white after drying.  Next was to add color.  I wanted the strands to remain soft, yet not get lost in all the background colors.  I thought watercolors would do the trick.  I wasn't sure how well they would work on this particular brand of texture medium as it dries a bit plasticy.  But, it turned out just as I had hoped it would.

This piece is different than my normal pieces.  I like to zoom in and really focus on things.  In this I stepped back.  Also, I normally have a plan and don't just paint the background and see where it takes me.  It was a different process for me.  In the end, I did keep true to my intent of simplifying the texture to simple repetitive shapes and patterns.

Willow, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, and Texture Medium on Canvas, 24" X 30", Feb. 2015.