INSPIRATION
I googled “endangered animals savoring.” One difficulty these days is the number of images created through AI that could never be found in nature. I found an NPR report about the work of Photographer Tim Flach, who is documenting endangered species in ways he hopes will move people.
I was particularly attracted to the rhinoceros portrait. I like the texture of her skin. She does look like she might be savoring the plants around her.
From Wikipedia, I learned that rhinos are in danger from poachers who sell their horn for use in Asian medicine. I also learned that their “ protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure.”
LEARNING
I watched “painting a rhino in watercolor” by Louise DeMasi.
STRATEGY
Where are the whites? The background is white. There is a catch light in the eye and it’s very light around the nostril.
The video is helpful: paint the body of the rhino in gray and brown with orange and blue highlights. The lines will be the biggest challenge for me. (I don’t have her fancy brushes, fine motor control, or experience. Therefore I should be kind to myself.)
CREATION
- I started to put gray on all areas of the rhino. I put water first and then color into the wash. I did not quite get finished but had to stop to make a phone call. That’s okay because I was getting tired and got to the point where it’s hard to reach. Better to start fresh another day.
- Painted the eye, leaving space for the catch light. It’s quite awkward, though, because of difficulty handling the brush. The gray I was putting down was quite scrubby. Started to paint the rest of the face, but the easel started to fall over and the PCA doesn’t know how to reset things. Frustrating! No more painting today.
- I started to paint some of the lines on her skin. Again, I felt very awkward trying to handle the brush. Because of my schedule, I won’t get to paint for a week.
- (I did not keep good notes for sessions four and five.) Painted lines.
- Worked on the edges of the rhino. Covered over blue with black. Added the leaves.
INSIGHT
- What surprised me? I am pleasantly surprised with how well this painting turned out. Reading my notes, I remember that it was a struggle.
- What have I learned?
- Getting me in the chair properly is important for painting.
- It’s good to stop before I get too tired.
- If I wet an area to correct it, I have to let it dry before adding pigment.
- Decide about palette before starting to paint.
- What do I want to learn?
- I would like to get better at “drawing” what I see.
- Parts of this painting got muddy. I’d like to learn to avoid that.
- I would like to get better at savoring the actual moments of painting.
- Thoughts about the theme.
- I hope this rhino is savoring her lunch.
- I savor the process by thinking about painting… What I might do next and how.
- There is a “slow art” movement that encourages people to spend a longer time looking and thinking about (one might say savoring (a piece of art.