New to creating abstract paintings? Just let go.

Watercolor on Arches paper 8" x 10"

After what I consider a successful urban sketching in Mexico last winter, being back at home, took me an effort to grab a pencil and continue doing what I like to do, artistic activities. This two last weeks, we have had little or no sun days, so I'm not very inspired. If you are a sketcher and a "tools junkie" collector, you will understand that sometimes the acquisition of a new art tool, as small as it can be can cheer you up and help you keep going, sometimes in different directions. I've being considering including pearl paint in my sketches. I happened to have a set of wall frames for months, some art is needed in one of the rooms at home. Yes, you guessed well, they are blank, and I gave them a constant thought in the back of my mind while in Mexico, about what to do with them. I've been considering abstract art for a while. How difficult can it be? Never done it. Well it turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I had in front of me a piece of watercolor paper and didn't have a clue how to start. My process of creation started by choosing what colors I wanted in my piece. Is it the right way to start? I have no idea, but that's how it happened. Then I chose watercolor as a media, the one I  have practiced more. Then the technique. At this point I just let go. I went for wet of wet, then added layers once it was dry. It looked ugly, I didn't like it at all, but I still had an ace under my sleeve. I looked at the ugly mess of permanent rose and cobalt turquoise and I let it hit me. What do you see? I tried to make sense out of it and then I saw flowers, flowers and more flowers. I used gold watercolor paint to define some shapes, and this is what I came out with. There, I stood admiring a paint that I like a lot, when I had no idea what would came out of this unknown process. I liked the experience, the starting from clueless to finish liking it. Now I have more to do, and also I know to just let go.

This is the set I got. It's a fabulous watercolor paint coliro.