Sunday 9 November 2008

Woodland Watercolours

Ok, now I know why I specialised in Textiles at art college.

Yes, I am quite rusty with the watercolours and I am working from photos, albeit my own. I have never liked working from anything but nature itself but needs must. I am hoping that once I begin to translate some images into felt the pictures will lose some of that stilted look that only working from photos gives you.
The main reason why I am making these studies is to find a formula for working with felt. I am exploring light and layers. I have made this decision in order to discover what is possible.

When I began to look at my woodland photos again today I realised that there are so many different ways I could work. Landscape is a very daunting subject, there is just so much of it. Choice is the hardest thing, when faced with such a subject, it's just so overwhelming.
You wouldn't expect that there could be so many
views in one woodland, I have nearly 100 photos that I took, well, some I probably won't find of use but I need to get a feel for the subject matter before I launch into felt.

Watercolour is the hardest medium of all to master. I have always known this, so why do I choose it. Well, it's a medium that you usually work in layers. In the next view I have taken a photo after the first layer, I waited for this layer to dry. When I work in felt I hope to work in a similar way. To put some abstract colours down as a background and then work on top with more felt. I hope to use all the different aspects of perspective such as those found in watercolours. Intensity of colour, more detail in the foreground, things becoming larger. All of these methods and more can be used in any landscape to provide perspective.

Well, after all this I think I am beginning to loosen up a bit. Here below is the finished work from the one above. I am beginning to really get a feel but it isn't easy. It takes a lot of concentration and I also find that I have to let things happen with watercolour, that's what I mean about loosening up. You need to have control over any medium but with watercolour it is a fine balance between being in control and allowing the medium to do what it needs to do to make the picture natural.
I have some more photos arriving next week but these I believe will offer me something else again. Must keep working. Lots to do. I'll be back soon.

11 comments:

Jackie said...

What lovely drawings. I'm sure you'll make some lovely felt inspired by these colours and shapes.

Tricks said...

Thank you so much Jackie, it's early days yet, I am still exploring, but I hope that all the work will be worth it. Thanks for dropping by. Cheers and Best Wishes Triciax

Genie said...

Lovely work Tricia
look forward to seeing the felted results.

Tricks said...

Thanks Jean,
Yes, I beleive at long last I have a direction with my work, I have been floundering a lot this year, still back on course now that's all that matters. Hope your furry friend is better. Best Wishes. Triciax

Anonymous said...

i havent tried watercolour so cant speak from experience, but they look pretty good to me! i particularly like the second painting with the tree trunks.

i have been trying to sketch more with the understanding that the more i do the better i will get - i am always disappointed with the results - but going back to an earlier sketch i did at the beach I could see its potential - perhaps when you step back from the paintings and come back to them for inspiration for felting you'll see what you need. i can imagine these in felt very well indeed

Tricks said...

Hi Paula,
Thanks for the encouragement, I am not completely satisfied with them but I am not going to frame them or anything, they are just a means of exploring the subject matter before I move on to felt.

I should be a lot better at watercolours, I did take classes years ago before I went to art college. I realised then that even though I loved the media I would never be that good, I suppose that's why I moved on to something I felt I could get to grips with.

Sketching/painting is a way of seeing what you want to do next. I have got to experiment more I know this so this is my way of finding out in a pictorial context. I need to have a repertoire of possible views. I want to do a series so I really need to make these studies.

I think that you are right Paula, when we first make a study we may not be happy with it at all. Come back in a couple of weeks and we see less wrong with it. It's not about making a photographic representation is it? It is about expressing something important to us.
Well, I'll be back soon with some more work. Thanks again for dropping by. BW Triciax

t said...

Your watercolours are very good Tricia. I like the second one of the close up tree trunks, and the last one. You are very brave having a go at watercolours, i did some years ago, but always ended up with a muddy looking mess. I think your felt landscapes will be wonderful if you are putting this much thought and effort into them. xt

Tricks said...

Hi Teresa,
Yes I do hope that the painting will inform the textile work. It's not always easy, as you know to place felt and get it to do what you want it to. Watercolour is like that too. Even though I do think that my dry felt is most probably a lot easier than wet felt.
I think that you have mastered greatly with your wet felting.

I am hoping that I can find a way to express exactly what I need by doing this research first.
Thanks for the encouragement. Best Wishes Triciax

Jackie said...

Hi Tricia
This is a reply to your comment on my blog..I don't have any other way..'no reply' e mail..
I will be busy for a very very long time!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hi Tricia,
Your tree studies are coming on beautifully.
I as you know like to work from my drawings or paintings, that way your own personality and style will come through in your textile work.
Looking forward to your tree posts.xx

Tricks said...

Hi Kayla,
Yes, I have been working on a felt study and I am now in the process of considering stitch. I will post when I feel happy with the results. Thanks for the encouragement Bw Triciax