Fire: From My Mind to Paper with Three Tools

 Again, I marvel at how time passes. This is only the second painting I've created in the last month, yet it is meaningful. It lived in my brain for a length of time before it moved from inside to out. 

Of course it was inspired by the evacuation from the holiday fire itself, and our multiple visits to our property. Seeing the dead trees and forest surrounding our ruins has a huge impact, each time we are there.

The steps were simple: Wet the paper, leaving interesting corner shapes, then apply paint while wet.

Oh, there must be darks! (indigo)

Let it dry, and let the mind's image develop.

 

Next, lift some trunks using straight edges of velum (a paper resistant paper). Then start painting in the burned trees.

And here's the tough part: dish out some black gouache (opaque watercolor paint) grab a paint scraper and sweep across the image over and over. Add some FIRE on top of that with orange/red gouache.

I am avoiding getting overly emotional with my verbiage--the painting should speak to that.

"Reaction,"
16"x20"
watercolor and gouache

All this was done with just 3 tools, a 2 inch flat wash brush, a rigger and a paint scraper.