OH boy, today was a relief. it has been so hot, i truly wonder if i will be able to survive the summer. i am going to get a metal awning put up over our bedroom window (outside wall, for those who don't know what i'm talking about). that window faces due west and the sun pokes me in the eye during my afternoon nap.often our family plays this thinking game: what would you rather live through, a hot summer or a cold winter? i always say i would go for the cold winter as i don't see what the big deal is, you can always put on layers and layers of clothing, right? but, maybe i'm a naive californian. i have only been in the snow a handful of times - the worse was that time i lived in london and got hit in the back of the head by a snowball because i was wearing a ridiculous looking furry cap with gigantic pompoms at the end of the ties. (see awhile back, previous post...) anyway, i guess it would be no fun living where your nose could freeze off your face. BUT my god this heat is oppressive and relentless. you can strip all your clothes off, then what? you're still too hot. in this heat, even the swimming pool water is too warm to relax in. there is just no place to hang out, apart from the frozen foods aisle in Vons. my cat lies on her back with her four paws straight in the air. that's Princess Fifi not striking a pretty pose. the dog looks for the coolest place to lie down, then goes into a coma. for me, i hate lying down because my bed gets too hot. my body heat on the mattress creates an steamy oven. i could steam whole orange roughy while i sleep. not exactly appetizing though. perhaps it would be better with a squeeze of lemon, butter, clives and a bit of teriyaki sauce. oh well.
Even during work or what you might call creating, this heat makes me want to do something i don't normally do, change from painting in acrylic to watercolor. watercolor is not a simple medium. oh, its simple in that you only need pigments, a brush, paper and water. but the way to place color down takes some thought. you see, you must think ahead of what you are doing. whites and pale areas are considered first. you built up to darks over time and through layers of transparent colors, letting them dry between layers. many people love the look of watercolor, yet it sells as the cheapest form of art. i suppose many people view watercolors as preliminary work, like rough drafts or sketches. i don't really know why it is, but it is pretty universal that if you paint a fish in watercolor the value of this work is worth much less than if you rendered the same fish in oils or acrylics. it just is less dollarwise. and watercolors, in general, don't go up in value as fast as other mediums.
some regions don't even consider watercolor paintings as fine art at all!!
but i say that some subjects call out to being portrayed in watercolor only, like colorful fish, flowers that let afternoon sun shine through their petals, water running off stones, waterdrops, dew drops, mornings, and fresh things, vegetables in bins or a very close look at a pomegranate. very nice. whenever you view a watercolor, look at the lightest area. that area was probably not painted at all, but left white, the paper exposed. the highlight. that takes practise and restraint to leave a part of the paper alone and unbrushed. its a marvel, worth, really a lot to those who learn to create this way and to the beholders. it just doesn't get it's worth on the market.
