Water Spots

Water colors are tricky and with students the frustration fuse can be short. They can easily test both the experienced and inexperienced. I am by no means an expert in the field but am competent enough do some simple exercises using water color. Typically we do a number of exercises that involve blending and bleeding colors and no matter how much I reassure the students that we are not creating works of art but technical experiments and that they should not give up and persevere, I will still find work in the garbage at the end of the class session. My mantra is that no matter how discouraging or hopeless the situation may appear, there is still room for transformation. These ‘Water Spot’ Portrait collages are cases in point. They were all created from discarded water color exercises that I retrieved from the trash.

Judy's Photos

I came across some photos that my sister had taken of some of her college friends from many years ago. I enjoyed the sense of serenity that the figures imbued. But it was how the subjects formed the composition that most resonated with me. With her permission I used paint to fill and flatten much of the space to not only define the figures but also enhance their presence. Maybe one day I’ll actually take the leap and turn the photos into paintings.