Fragment

This little 2 1/2" x 1 3/4 " fragment was the only interesting or salvage-worthy piece of a much-larger painting I did this afternoon. I drew in the morning and it went well, but this afternoon - yeech! It's amazing what a disaster a watercolor can turn into! This one went into the poubelle, but long ago my teacher told me to look at every painting, good and bad, using cropping corners if it helps, and see if there are areas that stand out as better than the rest, and then figure out why. Throw the paintings away if you want, he said, but before you do, cut them up and save the good pieces.

I always do that. It's funny how much it helps me feel like I'm learning something. What's pleasing here? The two pairs of clear complementary color -- the yellowish-ochre and the slate blue, and the pink and yellow-green. The well-defined round shapes in the back contrasted with the spiky shapes in the front. That doesn't make a painting, but it gives me some reminders. And tomorrow is another day.

Right now I'm going to walk home -- it's a gorgeous day here in Montreal, and I hope you're getting some good weather where you are, too. Go out and enjoy it!