Saturday, July 11, 2015

A Little Experiment with Gold Leaf...


California's Gold, 
Watercolor on Aches #140 Cold Press Paper with Gold Leaf, 8"h x 8"w, 2015 #2

Bid in My DPW Auction ( Starting Bid $85)

At school break I experimented a little bit with texture and really enjoyed it -- combining wet-on-dry glazing of very thin washes with wet-in-wet technique to depict feather and fur, as well using gold leaf as background for a watercolor painting. I really love the shimmering gold and thought they are just great in capturing how I feel when seeing this little creature glittering in the morning light as it zipped back and forth around the prickly pear cactus flower in my garden. It's hard to imagine that little body containing enough strength and tenacity to fly a thousand miles every spring and fall, through mountains and across oceans. It is a fierce, exuberant force of life...


In case you want to try your hands on the gold leaf technique (it's really fun! Albeit a little messy...), my friend Carrie Waller -- a fantastic artist -- has a great tutorial here. Enjoy!



California's Gold, Detail of the Little Hummer


California's Gold, Detail of the Prickly Pear Cactus Flower
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