From the Art By Cedar Archives: Watercolor Class

These two purple-dominant watercolors were done for one of my intro art classes in college. By the time I started college I already knew I was in love with acrylics, and in the years following, I would come to gradually fall in love with and switch to oils. Even though I didn’t end up using watercolor as my chosen medium, I’m glad I learned watercolor technique enough to understand the medium and become marginally proficient.

I took all the required studio classes for an art degree–drawing, painting, sculpture, video art, graphic design, photography…During these years I became very much involved in clay work on my own time, especially wheel-thrown pottery (I took several courses at Baltimore Clayworks, where I created most of the dishes currently in my kitchen cupboard) and I worked as a jewelry designer and taught bead-work classes to continuing ed students at a local community college.

In this painting, I took on the challenge of painting the way glass reflects and refracts light. Even though it’s not really my style, I still think it’s a beautiful painting. Fun fact: I still own that faceted crystal bowl on the left. These days, it usually holds lemons or garlic bulbs.

For any nipple-averse readers, oh no, cover your eyes! (Well, now it’s probably too late…)

I find this painting pretty funny: the body of a woman but without a head or arms. All the important parts are included though, right? You guessed it: this was a mannequin in the college’s art studio used as a prop for students to practice drawing and painting the human body. As silly of a painting as this is, I admit I am partial to that little triangle of yellow on the rib cage on the left.