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MEDIUM: Watercolor on Aquabord™ with Scratching
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SIZE: 9" x 12"
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STATUS: Sold
"Years ago I had dozens of Pink Lady Slipper wildflowers blossom in my woods in early May. Sadly, a tornado came through in 2011 and destroyed the pine grove which had supported the acid environment these flowers prefer. Since then, I treasure the few lady slippers which now flower in another area, and I never tire of photographing them during their few weeks of bloom time. I am happy to report that each year I discover one or more new lady slippers in the same area.
This painting is done in watercolor on a white scratchboard, Ampersand's Aquabord™. I knew before starting that this would be ideal surface for a close-up with backlighting. The white clay makes transparent layers of paint very luminous and is just porous enough to let me mix and soften colors for a out-of-focus background. The paint is easily removed upon re-wetting (I have to beware of unintended drips!), allowing me to wipe away nice light areas randomly, as if the sunlight is poking through the trees. The scratchboard also allows me to scratch in the ultra-fine white fibers which you see on the stem and flower parts upon close inspection... details not so easy to depict on other painting surfaces."
