Why Watercolors?

These are two photos I took while painting with watercolors on a trip one year ago. We were in our RV, and I decided to paint with watercolors for the first time in years. I had previously been so fascinated with oils and what they could do for me with both landscapes and abstracts, that I had never been interested in watercolors. Watercolors seemed simpler some how, easier to clean up, and the artist really needs to have a plan because they aren’t forgiving and one must move quickly and confidently when using them. However for this particular day in the rv and stuck inside on a rainy day, they were exactly what I was looking for. I had all the supplies on hand. I didn’t need to wear gloves, or have the windows open for correct ventilation. I just needed to grab some water and to pick up my brush. The watercolor effect was different, but I liked it. I loved how they interacted with the paper and the water. It was like they had a mind of their own. I loved what my brush did. I loved the colors, the pieces, and most of all, the freedom I felt while painting. The funny thing was the first style was similar to my abstract oils (like the above pieces). But then, I painted a few fun landscapes and then I found myself painting what would be a new style—more free, but still so many lines. See I’m an artist with an art history degree. I never painted more than two watercolor pieces as an adult. I did, however, paint my fair share of pieces as a child. I knew artists have styles and artists shift styles. I could feel the shift and it felt fun and just right. Below I’ve included just a few pics of that first watercolor style.