A distinction is made between artists who work directly from nature and those who work purely from imagination. Neither of these methods should be preferred to the exclusion of the other. Often both are used in turn by the same artist.
— Henri Matisse
With Linda Drewry’s outings we were about 15 people painting away on this beautiful & sunless day. We were really going at it! So much so, that I was taken by surprise when they told me that it was time to lunch… lunch already? I am not ready for that! Since June 1st of this “about to become” summer, I decided that I would withhold any pen use… ink pens, ball point pens, technical pens… none at all to force myself to paint without the “lines” that I am so used to. So “this” fact turned me into something or someone else. As one of the gentlest women that were out today, she just said to me: “You are discovering another artist in yourself Jane!” Well I believe her as I cannot see myself in this painting at all — but we are all on a journey, huh?
Paper: Handbook Sketchbook 10″x7″
Colours: New Gambodge, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Deep Sap Green
Location: Baie d’Urfé Town Hall, Québec, Canada
Painting to see : Peindre pour voir 
Wow, that is different, Jane. I sometimes wonder if I should leave my pens in my bag but I like lines. I think I would miss them :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love my lines too Larry and I missed them soooo much but I really want to get into watercolour and push myself into it — so the lines need to go for now as I rely too heavily on them. It’s like painting within the lines? This does not mean though that I will stop doing drawings though… just try to get a purer form of watercolour-)
LikeLike
I’m in the same boat, Jane. My brain separates linework from color too much. This leads to too many lines, too little reliance on color (or at least tonal shapes) to say what I want to say. Color becomes an after-the-fact thing for me and it is becoming frustrating. At the same time, the thought of sketching without lines scares me to death :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It scares me too Larry but I think that at some point in time, if we wish to evolve, we meed to do it. Yesterday I wanted to shred it to pieces as I did not see “myself” in the painting — and that is the scary part -))) But today I am interested in meeting this other artist -)))
LikeLike
Ha…that ‘doesn’t look like me’ happens every time I do something that’s not in my cartoon style. Doesn’t matter if it’s a detailed pencil drawing or just an attempt to mimic some other artist’s approach. Like you say, we need to do it and it’s part of the fun. I do find the boundary between pen driver and watercolorist to be a bit leap. Hopefully, if I can start coming to Montreal more often rubbing shoulders with those of you who understand watercolors will help me conquer it.
LikeLike