I have spent the last 6 weeks experimenting with watercolor on yupo paper, a synthetic paper that resists water. It's challenging to work with as the brush has to be really dry and the paint right from the tube - I watched a couple of how-to videos on the Empty Easel website that gave me some pointers and inspiration.I find I just have to keep at it to discover its unique qualities. It's incredibly easy to erase parts with a wet tissue. If I make the brush marks precisely and confidently, it's easier. It dries very slowly and it's difficult to build up layers as the underneath one get blurred quickly. I'm determined to finish the parrot fish although Arches watercolor paper would obviously work better for such a saturated image. I'm ready to move back to canvas again. It's been fun revisiting watercolor and understanding that I gradually shifted to acrylic for the more intense colors.
Yupo may be ideal for depicting the transparency of jellyfish so I may have another go at it.

Beautiful pieces from ancient Babylon, Egypt, Rome and China seen at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City last weekend. They have an eclectic collection that reminds me of delightful hours spent at the Metropolitan Museum in New York as a child.

Claire ( working )and her brother Declan came to my studio to paint. I asked them to bring some of their work, shown above.We all had a great time and want to do it again soon !

Here they are together. I love them both !

Then I repeated the same painting on canvas- I haven't painted on canvas in years. It was much easier than painting on paper and the bounce effect adds a kinetic dimension to the process. Great fun .

This is the finished painting .

New brushes with longer handles have inspired an explosion of expressive energy ! I have no idea what the next one will look like but I had a great time painting this one. Onward !