Painting through the night

Lately I feel a little bit aimlessly with my watercolor painting. I am trying this, I am trying that… not following some specific goal… experimenting, trying to paint “effortless”. It is fun and it is practicing… and it is probably still searching for MY way of painting watercolors. I paint most of my watercolors through my working hours at night, because I feel too lazy to really work on a serious full-sheet at home after work. The weather has been rainy and a bit cold lately and this de-motivated me to go out to paint plein-air and this is disaffecting. Some sunny daylight painting outdoors would probably motivate me and I am going to take the first chance when the sun is coming out for more than one hour. Here are a few nightshift paintings from the last days.

cw_watercolor_2017_241
241_2017 Watercolor / Hahnemühle Cornwall – ca. 32 x 24 cm / 9.4 x 12.6 in / Lukas Aquarell 1862

In den letzten Tagen fühle ich mich mit meiner Aquarell-Malerei ein wenig ziellos. Ich versuche dieses, ich versuche jenes… ohne einem bestimmten Ziel zu folgen… experimentieren, versuchen, noch unaufwendiger zu malen. Es macht Spaß und es ist Übung… und es ist wahrscheinlich immer wieder die Suche nach MEINEM Weg, Aquarelle zu malen. Die meisten Aquarelle male ich nachts während meiner Arbeit, weil ich momentan zu faul bin, um ein ernsthaftes größeres Format zuhause zu malen, wenn ich von der Arbeit komme. Das Wetter war zuletzt regnerisch und kühl, und das hat mich etwas demotiviert, nach draußen zu gehen und plein-air zu malen – das macht mich etwas unzufrieden. Draußen in der Sonne zu malen wäre wahrscheinlich sehr motivierend, und ich werde wohl die erste Chance nutzen, wenn die Sonne mal wieder länger als für eine Stunde scheint. Hier sind ein paar Nachtschicht-Aquarelle aus den letzten Tagen.

cw_watercolor_2017_242
242_2017 Watercolor / Hahnemühle Cornwall – ca. 32 x 24 cm / 9.4 x 12.6 in / Lukas Aquarell 1862
cw_watercolor_2017_245
245_2017 Watercolor / Hahnemühle Cornwall – ca. 32 x 24 cm / 9.4 x 12.6 in / Lukas Aquarell 1862
cw_watercolor_2017_246
246_2017 Watercolor / Hahnemühle Cornwall – ca. 32 x 24 cm / 9.4 x 12.6 in / Lukas Aquarell 1862

23 thoughts on “Painting through the night”

  3. I really like your trees and reflected light. But, you might try painting a still life some night when you are stuck inside.
    No, don’t arrange the objects; just look around, and paint something you see inside. Arrange it in your picture if you wish or combine objects you see. You may suddenly be struck with many possibilities and challenges as well.

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    1. I tried some still life motifs before, Holly – but they are not my subject. I don´t feel fascinated by them. Abandoned houses, trees, wtaer-reflections, wrecked boats are my world and my life will be too short to explore them with my paintings. I am not looking for different challenges… my little universe still has enough challenges and possibilities left for me. It is not so much about what I paint but how I paint. 🙂 Lately I started to paint some half-abstract portraits in my sketchbook. I tortured myself because I thought I should try something with human figures again after 30 years. But I have not caught fire yet. 🙂

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      5. I am true to myself, especially in my art making, almost stubbornly so. And having been a teacher most of my life i guess I’ll always also be deeply interested in what makes other people tick; in how they find motivation and approach the discipline/passion of art making.
        Each of us is so different. Sometimes an approach is more, and sometimes less sympathetic to the way i see/feel things but it is always interesting to me.

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      7. Me? in a nut shell- 2 years as instrumental wind instructor for middle school students during which time i created a band from scratch. Followed by a return to school for me and then, from 1973-1978, solo instructor for Junior and Senior High school visual arts for a school up in Vermont. We did everything from ceramics including wheel to 4 harness weaving, batik, fine metals, design, painting and drawing, calligraphy-you name it. Then 10 years part time while i raised my own two children followed by 27 exciting and exhausting years facilitating the art exploration and learning of pre-K through 5th grade students. Broke my back (literally while working on the wheel) got back up and am finally doing my own art working in watercolor-yea!

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      11. its quite an honor to be a guest on Doodlewash.com and one you have earned. There are parallels there in time frame and story that i can empathize with and while i know there is a lot not said and even more yet to do you have recovered very well from hitting your wall. Take joy in the wonders of watercolor!

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      12. I was so surprised by being invited there. It is an honor for me… like I feel honored by you watching all my stuff and writing kind comments. Of course I did not tell the whole story there… it would fill a book, Holly! LOL! 🙂

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      13. PS i am constantly the student. i learn so much about composition and value from your work. My own formal education had little time for painting. (read one course) i marvel at your skill in using watercolor and at Debi’s and at Margaret’s. there is much to learn. Bu

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