Watercolor painting. Have you ever tried it?

I used to be pretty good at watercolor painting, back when my days consisted more of illustrating than photography.  Oh, I was never, ever nearly as good as I wanted to be.  But I am even further from my painting aspirations now!

My struggle with watercolor painting has never been about lack of brush control.  It’s seemed like it’s been more about too much of it! The style of my art has always been realism.  To create an image and make it as real as possible.  Before turning more and more to the art of photography, I had spent many years doing 100’s of large commissioned pencil portraits of people, using photos as a reference.  Often times, the portraits also included many symbols and items that spoke of that subjects personality and what mattered to them…..very much like my portrait photography work today.  With every illustrated piece of work, I struggled to let that portrait go, until the subject looked like they were truly right there looking at you. And looked EXACTLY like them.  The objects surrounding them, needed to look like you could pick them right up too .

But with watercolor painting, I was more drawn to loose painting.  To be purposely messy and free…but have it come out looking awesome anyway.  I’ve never come even close to mastering that.   They have never come out as I set out to paint it, because somewhere along the line, I try to control it too much.  I have  sold a few watercolor paintings in my lifetime anyway, so I guess they weren’t half bad. But they weren’t the painting I set out to create.  So as my life carries on, I will look for more opportunities as I can, to paint, and keep trying to loosen up.

This day was one of those opportunities to paint.  Not only had I been really itching to put down my camera, and pick up some of my old neglected art tools, but I wanted to create a very special card, for some very special people.  New friends, who had come into our life in the most unusual of circumstances, and before even knowing us very long, have been unbelievably kind and thoughtful to us as a family. We have been stunned, by their generous spirit, and the love in their heart they have to share with others.  I desperately needed to express my gratitude, and let them know that their heartfelt acts and thoughtfulness, were deeply appreciated.

Michael and I had tried many times to thank them face to face in person as well. But these people are the type that don’t even want ‘to go there’.  They immediately brush it off/change the subject/no big deal.  But to us, their thoughtfulness has been….baffling, actually.   Needless to say, I wanted this card to express it was from our hearts. In art, and the words written inside. Hoping, that when when they received it, they would ‘listen’ to us, and let us thank them from our hearts.

As you can see in the photo above, I had searched and found an image online to loosely use as a reference for my painting in my head.  I wasn’t copying it by any means, but it had some elements I wanted to incorporate in my own painting.

Again, my goal was to paint loosely.  To NOT be so precise.  For the final work, to almost have an unfinished feel to it.  I was definitely enjoying sitting there painting. I love to draw and paint.  But I was struggling to be satisfied with art I was creating, and call it ‘done’.

At some point, it grew on me a little bit, and I thought it wasn’t half bad.  I cleaned up my mess.

The next morning, I wrote a note one page note to our friends, that fit perfectly inside, and attached it.

But the painting was bugging me again!  It looked…..unfinished. Which, right, was what I was going for.  But it was bothering me, and I decided it needed something more.

So I added more color around it.  A colorful surface.  I felt like it gave it more of an Italian feel. I thought I liked it more so. But I still wasn’t 100% happy.  Or 75% for that matter.

But the message inside….I really wanted to deliver, a.s.a.p.   I was able to express that pretty successfully, from my heart.  So I put it in an envelope, addressed it, put it out in our mailbox, and put up the flag.

A few days later,  Michael was on the phone with these new friends of ours, when they invited all 6 of us, to dinner that coming week, at their home.  They are an older couple than us, and the man truly-loves-to-cook.  In fact, we’ve had quite a connection over food, which could be a whole other post. (And may be some day). But suffice it to say, we knew they were going to go all out, and this dinner was going to be quite a treat. We knew, the menu would be planned to a T, they would prepare for days, and we were going to love it all.

We did indeed, from the hor’doeuvres, through the main course, and dessert.  Not only was the food amazing, but the company was just wonderful.  We all had SUCH a good time. The kids played with their dogs, we all chatted and laughed, and relaxed. It was all just so…..easy.  We didn’t really want to leave.

But prior to dinner, the Mr.  oh-so non-chalantly, gifted us this painting.  He is so casual with the huge tokens of thoughtfulness that he passes off to us, and this was surely no exception. I-LOVE-TULIPS anyway. But then, he explained quite passively, how he saw it, and it made him think of our 4 kids.  The triplets, {JM, O and S}…..and {A}.

Now…..as the mother of my children, I would absolutely look at that painting and interpret it in the exact same way. As I do with anything of 4.  And this painting, arranges more specifically so.  But for HIM to see this painting, think of us, and get it for us as a gift, really touched my heart. Again.  He even matted and framed it himself.  I could go on and on about how special and thoughtful these people are.  I could tell you how they gave us a ton of home schooling supplies too, right after the painting, and umpteen other amazingly thoughtful things they have done for us since we’ve met.

But this painting is so very special to me.   Ok….well, our friend insists it’s a photograph, and that the artist said it was a photograph.  It does indeed look like it is on photo paper.  My guess, is that it is a photo that the artist then digitally painted.  It has a lot of air-brushed effects.  The artist is local, and I’ve been trying to locate him to find out his method.  But regardless…..it’s beautiful.  Isn’t it?

Visually, I think it is really, SO beautiful. I love the colors, and the light on the tulips.   It warms my heart to not only look at it, and see the tulips as representations of my children, but that someone else saw it and thought of them too, and got it as a gift for us.    What hearts, to give gifts such as these.  What a blessing, to have friends, who care for us that much. They really do inspire us in many ways.  Huge ways.  Yet, they are so nice to just BE with.  Down home, quiet, humble people. Who think so much of others, quietly give so much of what they have, but won’t accept much attention over any if it.

Which brings me back to why I wanted to paint such a special thank-you card for them in the first place. Before this painting.  But again, another amazingly kind and thoughtful gesture from them.  Oh, I am sure they are like this with everyone in their life.  It seems to just be who they are.  Which is all the more inspiring.  But they sure make us feel special.

So it’s why I hung it where I did, for now.  To walk in my front door, and see a piece so beautiful, that brings so many happy thoughts and feelings immediately to the surface.  Tulips. Colors. Light. Our children. Love. Our friends. Thoughtfulness.

Blessings.

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