If you follow my blog you may already know that during my art school days I studied the figure, still life and landscape using oil paints. But I like to challenge myself and learn new things. So lately I've been reading up on watercolor techniques and trying them out.

Many old school watercolor books I've found are written by purists who use transparent watercolors only, and look down their noses on any use of opaque media. I get why they love the fresh, luminous look of transparent paint. But coming from oil painting makes staying in the transparent zone easier said than done. I'm used to the option of painting light over dark. And you can't do that using transparent paint. Light colors just won't show up over dark.

Nevertheless I persist. I continue practicing transparent techniques to get better. But sometimes, after I've already tried and failed, it's time to save my work ... by any means necessary! And why not. It's kind of liberating, actually. Besides, after a recent trip to the Metropolitan Museum I couldn't help noticing that many of the modern and old masters made drawings and paintings in mixed media. Watercolor with charcoal, watercolor with pastel, watercolor with opaque white, watercolor with ... you get the idea. I'm by no means a watercolor historian so I'm not sure when the cool kids got so pure. But I'll look into it and get back to you. 

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Here in New York City we had a strangely balmy February, with temperatures occasionally rising into the 70s. So it's a good bet that March will bring an early spring ... along with the official ending of the 2017 Mallomar Season. 

Mallomars are only sold from October to March, primarily in the New York State region. So you may not know about these beloved, gooey, s'more-like cookies. They've got a marshmallow center, a graham cracker crust, and a crispy dark chocolate coating. Way back in 1913, when Nabisco first began making them in New Jersey, they were delivered without benefit of refrigeration. So during the warmer months the chocolate would turn into a melted mess.

But nowadays don't they keep their trucks adequately chilled? Why do devoted fans have to yearn for their return in October? Who knows. It certainly adds to their mystique. Perhaps Mallomars just like to play hard to get. 

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​Greetings, art lovers! Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and a wonderful holiday season, whatever you're celebrating. May the universe bring us all generous helpings of peace and love and things to smile about. And perhaps one or two small luxuries. And throw in a little comic relief once in a while. It couldn't hurt.

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Okay. So it's not The Godfather or Lord of the Rings. And it's only a minute and a half. But ta-da! It's my directorial debut, lol. Anyway, I'm so pleased that I finally figured out how to make a video slideshow of my latest gouache still life paintings. And ... it's uploaded onto my Youtube channel. For all the world to see. 

I do hope you'll visit Youtube and click the thumbs up button ... you'll find it below the video on the right. It'll be a hu-u-uge help for an artist, and you'll be doing your good deed for the day. Enjoy!

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Okay, so maybe they're not the sexiest vegetables on the dinner plate. But fresh raw turnips sure are pretty, with their lavenders and pinks, and their delicate, serpentine roots. So when I saw them at the Union Square Farmer's Market I decided they were coming home with me. Along with a ginormous bunch of eucalyptus leaves that perfumed the air as I set up my still life. 

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Jean Kessler, my mother, has been painting with watercolors for as long as I can remember. Recently she introduced me to Cartiera Magnani Portofino, a high-quality watercolor paper. It's hot press, and all that means is that the paper's surface is smooth. (Cartiera Magnani Aquarello is cold press, and that's the bumpy kind.) 

Verdict: I absolutely love it. This paper greeted my gouache paint like a dear old friend. It wasn't too absorbent for washes, which went on nice and smooth. And I didn't mangle the surface while making the inevitable corrections and changes. Fantastic!  Cartiera Magnani has been making paper in Tuscany since 1404, so by now they must know a thing or two. The only downside is that I couldn't find their paper at my local art supply store, so I had to buy it online. But that seems to be the new world order.

​So, what about you? Have you tried the Cartiera Magnani Portofino? Do you have a favorite watercolor paper? Do tell all about it in the comments. 

< August          All Posts          ​Turnips, Anyone? >

Inspired by the dog days of summer. Gouache on paper.  Just because it's scorching out there doesn't mean I can't have fun painting. Indoors.

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Summer is one of my favorite seasons, because it's great fun to draw and paint outdoors. But there's hot weather, and then there's HOT weather. And last week New York City was so hot and sticky that I decided to paint indoors. Fortunately I keep a bag of penny candy around for still life emergencies. 

I love painting shiny, transparent wrappers, and penny candies are perfect for that. But they can also present problems. Because candy colors are quite intense, and if you're not careful the painting can become loud and garish. So I decided to stay mainly with yellows and oranges. And I threw in a few soft brown caramels to tone them down a bit.