MIxed Watermedia Sunflower Paintings

My mixed media sunflower workshop was September 12 which arrived faster than I thought it would. I figured that I should have something to show for this workshop and the morning of the workshop I  finished "Petals & Leaves." The tricky think about beginning with an ink wash is trying to bring out the surprise image of the piece without obliterating the ink wash! It's kind of like - I do one thing and that leads to another thing and another until the piece resolves. It's hard to make those first brush strokes!!!!! I loved the movement of this piece and the surprise purples!
"Sunflower Talk' was from the demo that I did at the workshop. The inks looked great but I just couldn't see an image. I nearly gave up on ever creating something from this ink wash. But little by little it came together and has the freshness from the original ink wash. I'm always amazed by how these pieces turn out!
Someone asked why I would ever want to begin with acrylic ink. It's very brilliant and the colors are strong. When I go over the dried ink with watercolor, the ink stays put and if I change my mind about the watercolor I can usually scrub it off because it's on top of acrylic ink. I think the layering of acrylic ink, watercolor and acrylic ink is very special and looks different than just watercolor. Essentially the ink is opaque and the watercolor is transparent. Layering opaque and transparent paints can make for interesting effects. I also like that when finishing the piece I can use tinted white ink to cover areas or add sparkle.

"Petals & Leaves" • original mixed watermedia on 100% cotton paper

"Sunflower Talk" • Original mixed watermedia on 100% cotton paper

This piece is available for purchase. Click HERE for details.