black footed ferrets

INSPIRATION

you guessed it: I googled “endangered animals curiosity.” I scrolled through the images results and found a photo of these creatures who look as though they are curious.

image source

without any more strategy than “leave a space for what is not ferret,” I started painting.

CREATION – session logs

1. I spent some time testing and choosing colors. I have a large variety of watercolor paints. I found a brown I liked. First, I used a light tan to “sketch” the animals’ outlines. My plan for the background was to flood areas with water and add pigment. That didn’t go the way I expected. Too much paint and things looked scribbley; too little paint and a faint wash ran to the bottom of the paper. (Disadvantage of using an easel, but necessary because of disability.) Still I persevered and have darks put in around the creatures.
2. I added the indications of ears in pink and gray, used light black put in the “masks” (the dark areas on the faces), noses and mouths.
3. Another coat of dark brown behind the creatures and I painted a light gray on the body because they are in shadow. I added some tan for the light rocks above on the right and the left.
4. I repainted ears. The light gray on their bodies was too light. I added another coat of gray. I think that made things too dark. With watercolor, there is no going back. I want to learn more about putting in shadows on something white.
5. I added more texture to the tan areas. I painted eyes and attempted to add dimensionality to the heads. I looked at the painting the next day and decided I am done.

INSIGHTS

• What surprised me?-The joy I feel in getting lost in the process. I am united body, mind, and spirit.
• What have I learned? Adding layers of a transparent color makes it darker and deeper.
• What do I want to learn? How to paint shadows on something white. How to make things 3-D.
• Thoughts about the theme. Most animals are curious. They live in now and want to sense the world around them. I found myself playing with “what if?”
  • What if I alternated between figurative and abstract paintings?
  • What if I painted close ups of animals faces or eyes?
  • What if I made quick gestural paintings?
  • What if I limited my palette to a few colors?
  • What if I make short brushstrokes?