Pears and Lace

Pears and Lace
watercolor
by Jane McElvany Coonce

A new year begins with lots of ideas for the next painting.  I'm really trying to focus on watercolor while still doing the oils, too.  This is a watercolor I just finished from a still life set up.  I had never done lace before in watercolor.  I had done it in oil, but I find oil less stressful because if you make a mistake, you can let it dry and then cover it up with more oil paint.  In watercolor, there is no covering up.  You need to think things through before you ever put the brush to the paper.  You paint the tablecloth first as if it is a solid fabric with no holes.  Once it dries, you can draw with pencil the pattern of the lace, the flower shapes and the curly Qs.  Then you begin to paint the dots.  It takes a while but it was actually fun (and nerve racking). But, it worked out and I'm pleased.