As a relatively new painter, I am still exploring and attempting to find ways to express my artistic ideas and feelings. Watercolor is a great teacher because it is somewhat less forgiving than other media, requiring one to think ahead before commiting paint to paper. On the other hand, it readily provides for spontaneity in the way paint, water, and paper interact to produce unpredictable results. As far as my journey as an artist is concerned, I like to characterize it in the way a great California watercolorist, Milford Zornes, has remarked: "I'm a painter and I will leave it to others to decide whether what I produce is art".
In October 2005 we visited the California coast including Big Sur. The redwwods are a challenge to paint because of their size and usual location in dense growth forests. So this painting, while inspired by the trees, is from my imagination. I call it "Paddling Home". It was awarded the Associated Artists monthly meeting Demonstrator and popular choice awards. 
posted by Alan Marriott @ 4:03 PM
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