Vacation Painting: A Break From the Usual

A former mentor, Linda Jacobson, introduced this term to me. Linda facilitates monthly meeting of artists in her studio to look at and offer feedback on each other’s work. I was a member of Linda’s monthly Art Forum meetings for many years.

A vacation painting is a painting that is different from your usual work in any of a number of ways: they might be a different medium, size, subject or palette. The idea is that it is a break from the usual and serves as a way to loosen up, explore, and have fun.

Maybe because I just got back from a vacation, this past week I’ve been working on small scale watercolors; under 8 x 10”. They still have a landscape theme, but with a different focus then the other series I’ve been working on.

It has been awhile since I’ve worked in watercolor and I appreciating the spontaneity and fluidity as well as the fast drying time. I seem to work in short, tense bursts and I like the elegance of watercolor brushes and getting to make long continuous strokes, as well as allowing the color to flow into pre wet areas.

These haven’t reached their potential, but I like where they’re headed.