by Kathy Collins | Jan 7, 2021 | Main |
It’s freezing outside, but I pulled out a warm-weather photo from 2019, and painted this tropical scene. I like it for 2 reasons. First: the background stays back. Why? Because it’s grey and because it’s hazy. These two features suggest depth in a...
by Kathy Collins | Nov 23, 2020 | Main |
It’s easy to be preoccupied during the pandemic and that may have been what happened with the above watercolor. I started with a light wash for the sky, then brushed in very thick ultramarine blue and burnt sienna for the background foliage, saving whites on the...
by Kathy Collins | Nov 9, 2020 | Main |
The above watercolor is very simple, yet I like it. Why? The main reason I think this design works is that there is a clear dominance of shape, size, color, and value. There is no question but that the boat shapes are the main actors in this piece and the largest one...
by Kathy Collins | Oct 13, 2020 | Main |
Pulling out a photo from a few weeks ago when skies were clear, I determined to paint Rainier again. The mountain can look so different depending on the lighting effects, and this time the rising sun cast shadows on the west side. Using a 2-inch flat brush I washed in...
by Kathy Collins | Sep 13, 2020 | Main |
A couple weeks ago I was in the San Juan Islands where there are many places like the headland in this painting. What made this spot a little special for me was the light shining through the trees, essentially blurring the edges and drawing the eye. But achieving this...
by Kathy Collins | Jul 1, 2020 | Main |
This morning I pulled up a photo of boats at anchor in the San Juan Islands, put on a music CD, and prepared to paint. Using a large flat brush, I quickly brushed in a dark background around the shapes, then pulled down reflections. Next came the horizontal lines,...
