What You Can Miss Seeing

At the moment, I am working on two watercolor paintings. The subject matter for these paintings is the sand orchids of Greece which I mentioned in my last blog.

As I was painting and enjoying the range of colors which were happening because I was using a technique called glazing and defining negative space. I use the technique often because it is truly one of my favorite watercolor techniques. As I was enjoying the moment painting, I realized how this beauty and detail is lost in a reproduction of the painting.

You miss seeing this color and detail when you view a watercolor painting online or buy a print. Only when you see the original watercolor painting can you see the variation of colors. It is similar to viewing the dots or blobs of paint of a pointillist or impressionist painting. From a distance, these dots and blobs blend and the experience is different than viewing up close.

Thus, when you view a watercolor painting online you will miss out on all the nuances of its creation. Always ask to see the original or treat yourself to a visit at an art show of original works.

Here are a couple of details of the stems of the sand orchids in my current watercolor paintings: