I took a workshop several years ago with John Salminen. I haven't thought much about it until recently when I had a conversation with David Daniels, my watercolor teacher at Smithsonian Associates. What we discussed was the differnece between Salminen's amaszing urban landscapes and the content of the workshop, which was focussed on abstract composition. Above is the painting I completed in the workshop. Salminen led us through an interesting process. We did several drawings of common objects and then superimposed them on each other for rhe compositon. The paintings we worked on are full sheet watercolor, so they are complex. As we worked, we left a large area white. The idea, as I remember it, was to introduce color in a gradation so that the darkest areas would be toward the edge. In this workshop, we also used small collaged scraps and some black paint, including the lines. I nalso loved the use of glazing in various areas. When I came home, I continued to explore this process, and made a few more paintings.
I may return to this proscess though, of course, I will have my own take on it...there is something to be learned about making an effective composition. I am still learning! I think it is my biggest challenge.
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