QoR watercolors

Just in case you missed the Feb. meeting, we mentioned Golden's new QoR watercolors. These watercolors have a different binder. They use aquazol instead of gum arabic.

I've been playing with them a bit. They really are brilliant and they don't diminish in brilliance as they dry--it is nearly "what you paint is what you get" (WYPIWYG?). They resuscitate nicely with water, too, although I've been trying to put out only enough for the painting moment, so I'm using fresh paint.

I also have a piece going now that uses the QoR dimensional ground (think rocks lifted above background sky). I've found that this is nice to paint on and doesn't suck up the paint any more than paper. I'll let you know what I think of the QoR watercolor ground when I try it.

QoR watercolors are a bit spendy, but so pigment rich that they may prove to be no more expensive than other paints.

Link to QoR site: www.qorcolors.com
Includes videos on the watercolors and grounds as well as a color chart with pigment info, etc., and a link to their Facebook page which has people's painting examples with the paints.

Good Reads for a Frigid Winter's Night

I love to read about artists in either fiction or nonfiction, so I thought I'd share a few favorites.

In nonfiction: Sue Roe's The Private Lives of the Impressionists is a group biography of the impressionist circle. If you are a Georgia O'Keeffe fan, try this biography: In Full Bloom, by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp. Both of these are older books, so check the library or used books. Both are excellent.

In historical fiction, many of Tracy Chevalier's books include artists, such as Vermeer in Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring (alternatively, watch the movie with Colin Firth).

Another historical fiction writer who often focuses her novels on artists is Susan Vreeland. Clara and Mr. Tiffany is about the unsung women artists in Tiffany's studios and is a fascinating look at stained glass design and production. The Forest Lover is about Emily Carr, from British Columbia, and one of my all-time favorite artists (I was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw a gallery full of her work). Luncheon of the Boating Party fictionalizes the events behind the famous Renoir painting.



I hope one of these books will warm up your frigid days and inspire you to paint!

Highlights of the Carol Carter Workshop

The February program was presented by those that participated in the Carol Carter workshop last fall.  Paintings from the weekend workshop were exhibited, notes given out and time for a hands on experience in trying Carol's primary color technique.  

Ciceri, Winter Scene with Two Men

Lines and colors blog featured this painting. Here's the link to it at the Met: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/357877
Click on the down arrow under the painting and that pulls up a close-up view so you can see brushstrokes. It's a watercolor over graphite with lots of white (gouache or casein?). The Met has many images online of Ciceri's works, including lots of designs for stage sets.