Hi everybody.
How are you all surviving the pandemic? I’ve been sheltering in place since March. Seriously. I haven’t been out of the house for six months. THIS is the way to go stir crazy. But I also know with my compromised immune system (asthma, weight issues), it’s the only way to stay Covid free and above ground. I hope none of you have lost anyone.
It sure has been an ordeal, but I thought it was time I got my backside in gear and did some art. I’ll admit, I just don’t feel like it, but it’s good for me and for you too. Depression is a thing and I don’t want to fall into a black hole and also have the pandemic on top of that. So this is me, slogging back into art, reluctantly but with purpose.
Can’t I just hibernate until it’s over?
I know my reluctance comes from the problem with being stuck inside with no new stimulation. It’s tiring, depressing and just boring. All I want to do is read, fall into a juicy book and forget reality. Obviously escaping the world until it gets back to a semblance of itself isn’t a healthy option. So until we find to a new normal, I have both watercolors and acrylics to play with. It’s a good time to play, use the time to improve skills and share with online friends. I’m hoping you’re all still out there.
I’ve been using a new paper called “The Collection” from Hahnemühle (LINK). It’s a beautiful 100% cotton rag that comes in both 140 and 300lb (300 & 640gsm) weight. It’s got all the good attributes: vegan, resistant to aging, acid-free, mould-made, surface sized and the 100% cotton rag is made from especially strong fibers with incomparable purity. The following blurb made me want to try this paper so much!
The prized cotton papers, Watercolor 140 and 300 lb, are characterized by a very durable paper surface that is well suited for demanding watercolor techniques. The fibers do not lift, rub off or loosen, even when applying multiple layers of color, or when using masking fluids and tapes. This paper lets you use the most beautiful colors and create remarkable wet-on-wet paintings.
As I said, it’s a spectacular new paper and comes in all three surfaces, hot pressed, cold pressed and rough. It can be found at Wet Paint, links below for your convenience. :o)
Wet Paint Art Store
9″ x 12″ (140lb/300gsm) | |
Cold Pressed | LINK |
Hot Pressed | LINK |
Rough | LINK |
12″ x 16″ (140lb/300gsm) | |
Cold Pressed | LINK |
Rough | LINK |
12″ x 16″ (300lb/640gsm) | |
Rough | LINK |
Okie dokie, on to what I thought of Hahnemühle’s new paper, “The Collection”.
Short answer: Loved it! But let me explain why.
The New Painting
I bought a new tool for using with acrylics, it’s called Saral Transfer Paper. This stuff is gonna be GREAT with acrylics (I’m starting with Da Vinci acrylics very soon but that’s another story, lol) but when I used it to transfer my general image to the watercolor paper it all went wrong and I didn’t know it until later. I thought the light yellow transfer lines would be so much better than the pencil lines I usually worry about. I figured the yellow should be easy to cover with the red of the cherries. As many of you know I tend to do an underpainting of Hansa yellow medium to brighten up all the other glazed watercolor I put on top. Erroneously. I figured the lines from the Saral would disappear in the under painting. NOPE.
As I kept painting I realized I was adding more and more color, hoping to cover those original yellow Saral lines. The bowl the cherries are in became a grey bowl instead of a deeply shadowed white. The edges of the cherries got too dark as I layered more and more watercolor on top. It just kept going wrong after that. I ended up giving up on the last big cherry, knowing I’d never be happy with the painting in general. Here it is…
My Mistakes
- I got too tight with my painting, I think because of that original Saral debacle, I just got too precious with the paint, wanting perfection. Perfection is NEVER a good thing for me to try to achieve.
- The colors are too one dimensional. This means I didn’t get out of my little box and try new stuff. I stuck to a few colors, red rose deep, Quin magenta, opera. When not mired in self pity and perfectionism, will usually get frustrated that I’m not achieving the “zing” factor and get mad. That’s when the magic happens. I throw paint at the painting, not fearing I’ll ruin anything because I’m just so frustrated I don’t care. I never got beyond the fear with this one. *Sigh*
- once again, not leaving my whites, or not figuring out how to leave them without having the hard edges between the bright red cherry and the white highlights. That area needs tons of work. But then what’s new there? LOL.
One good note though…
Unlike my friend Sandra (her review HERE), I never plan to test a paper, I just use it, paint on it, then describe my impressions. And holy cow, is the description stellar! In a moment of insanity, I took a shop towel (those blue tough paper towels used in garages etc.), wet it and scrubbed a part of the painting so hard the BLUE of the towel deposited on the paper. I had to then pick that off. No damage to the paper at all and then I added half a dozen glazes over that area and still the paper took the abuse.
I think I could put this paper into the dishwasher, drive over it with a truck and still it would take paint. Yes, the quote at the top about “The Collection” 100% rag paper is spot on. It’s spectacular, hence will take all the abuse you can fling at it. And although the overall piece didn’t work, you have to admit, the colors sure do pop. They’re bright and shining on this paper even though I over-glazed, you can also see the brightness of paint on this paper in Sandra’s review.
If I hadn’t done so much work for a freaking week on that piece I wouldn’t have learned that you can glaze it until the cows come home, scrub it within an inch of it’s life and tape the edges for weeks and still it accepts paint, doesn’t pill and releases the tape perfectly.
Yep, one of my new fave papers. If you need a five star paper, try “The Collection” by Hahnemühle. You won’t be disappointed.
Mariam
I have been eyeing these papers since Sandra’s review, and now I am convinced that I need to try them all! I love that you are willing to share your experiences – and I totally get the over working…scrubbing, all that! To think that these papers will survive my torture- gotta have ’em!!! Thank you!💕
Sandra Strait
I think your painting is fantastic even unfinished! I doubt most people would even notice the ‘flaws’ you are seeing. I haven’t been painting daily for the last couple of months and I feel as though I’m painting with mud when I do. You lose that instinctive touch when you don’t practice, practice, practice.
Thank you for the shout-out!
Sharon Nolfi
Nice to see you back, Jennifer!
Stephanie
So great to have you back sharing again. This pandemic has also given me plenty of time to paint, but I miss the outside world.
Jean Marmo
So glad to see you back. Sandra really puts papers to the test but it sounds like you did as well. I think I need to put this on my wish list:) Luckily we have stayed safe and even managed a visit back to visit the grandkids. I look forward to seeing more of your paintings.
Suz
Good to see a new post! I’ve missed your wonderful art.
I keep looking at your failed cherry painting wondering just where the errors are. I don’t see them. I think it looks great!
I’ve had my eye on these new papers, too, but haven’t seen them in my area……….and with the state of things right now, I can’t justify paying the exchange rate and a fortune in shipping. sigh
But I enjoyed reading about your paper test (even if it wasn’t intended!) lol
Littlewanderingwren
Hello – lovely to see you here. This have been the year of ‘where has my creative mojo gone?’ for a lot of us. Certainly for me, although I’m coming out of it like you now. It is sometime good to push ourselves when we’re least feeling it. Like others I like your cherries, I would be chuffed with the end result!
Wren x
Louise
So glad to see your post in my emails today. Happy you are back!
Laurue
I have missed your beautiful work,, thought I would pop in to say hi,