Summer Watercolors

Teaching Art 40 hours a week, takes so much creative energy, that I'm usually too wiped out by the time I come home to make art in the evenings. Luckily, summer break gives me a chance to brush up on my skills as an artist, so I recently dusted off my watercolors and try to capture some of the spots I visited this summer. I attempted a landscape that included water, which was a first for me.

But I wanted my watercolor to be more fluid and spontaneous, so I worked half the size, and spent less than half the time, to simplify and be a little more gestural. These ancient ruins at Hovenweep, provided enough structure to allow me to go really loose with the sky.

Working small means I can start and finish a project in an afternoon. The smaller commitment, the more I'm more likely to pick up my pencils and brushes; and the more times I draw and paint, the faster I can grow. Painting is one thing you can learn how to do before spending the rest of your life learning how to do it better. And as an art teacher who wants to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk, I hope my students can understand the power of life long learning.