Thinking back over the years of my landscape painting life, one of the things I was recently reminded of was this story---and I’m wondering if something like this has ever happened to you.
I drove many miles to a spot on Christopher Creek in the high country of Northern Arizona to do some plein air oil painting.
A wonderful and varied area to paint in. At the time I painted both in oils and, at times, in watercolor.
I found a likely place that looked really great to me, and got out all my painting gear. I set up my French easel, excited to get started---only to discover that I had forgotten the absolutely essential tube of white oil paint at home.
Feeling both stupid and frustrated I wondered, “So what do I do now?”
Then I remembered that I still had with me in my supplies a 9x12 block of Arches watercolor paper.
So, winging it, I decided to use the oils (minus the white!), treat them like watercolors, thin them with paint thinner, and paint on the watercolor paper. So, voila!, “oil watercolors.” The picture above is the result.
Another day in the life of an artist!
I drove many miles to a spot on Christopher Creek in the high country of Northern Arizona to do some plein air oil painting.
A wonderful and varied area to paint in. At the time I painted both in oils and, at times, in watercolor.
I found a likely place that looked really great to me, and got out all my painting gear. I set up my French easel, excited to get started---only to discover that I had forgotten the absolutely essential tube of white oil paint at home.
Feeling both stupid and frustrated I wondered, “So what do I do now?”
Then I remembered that I still had with me in my supplies a 9x12 block of Arches watercolor paper.
So, winging it, I decided to use the oils (minus the white!), treat them like watercolors, thin them with paint thinner, and paint on the watercolor paper. So, voila!, “oil watercolors.” The picture above is the result.
Another day in the life of an artist!
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