Underpainting

A yucca plant!

Today I attended a workshop at the Pearl Fincher Museum with Evelyn Bouley - "Acrylic Underpainting"   Even though I prefer watercolor, I always feel you can apply what you learn in other mediums -- I call it cross-training.

Currently on exhibit "at the Pearl" -- Painting in the Texas Tradition:  Contemporary Texas Regionalism.  Two paintings in particular by Laura Lewis showcase her brilliant use of underpainting.  She uses layers of vibrant contrasting/complementary colors to create dramatic composition and visual energy.  Her paintings inspired us to try this technique for our own interpretations of the Texas landscape.

What you can't see well in the photograph versus the painting itself is the texture of the yucca blossoms...upping my "Cool!"  rating.  I have never really used acrylics other than for craft projects or face-painting at company picnics, so this was a great exercise in the trying something new department.   Painting leaves for example, are done just the opposite from watercolor.  Adding white instead of saving white, as I tried to cover the canvas board - to me it was like trying to smear toothpaste doing that underpainting!  Even signing my name was different.

But it was a fun morning spent with a group of very creative people, and trying to keep my mind elastic, not plastic.