Pen & Ink

Yes, it’s been months since my last posting and, as we all know, life sometimes gets in the way of our aspirations. With the passing of both my mom and my dog in the last 6 months, this blog posting will be to honor them both.

Mom and I had taken watercolor classes together in the past, and she was quite an accomplished painter as evidenced by her “Maiden with Swans”. Her method of detailing a completed watercolor painting with pen and ink was one she favored after exploring techniques taught by instructor Marie Ungemah. I, on the other hand, favor drawing first with nib pen dipped in ink, then applying washes of watercolor to either portions of the painting, or its entirety.

My piece titled “Fetching” exemplifies this style. I completed this from a photo of Mason in Idaho Springs Reservoir doing his favorite thing, swimming out to fetch a stick. He loved going on hikes, and the Chicago Lakes trail near Mt. Evans was a treat for him, since he could cool off with a swim.Watercolor with Pen & Ink is a new class I will be teaching, starting in October at the Clement Center at Wadsworth and Colfax. I plan to explore both of the above techniques, along with other methods to create some exciting effects, and of course instruct on basic principles of design: value, composition, mark-making, color theory etc. Mom would be happy to know the beauty of her creation lives on.