My mom would often say if she could have a nickel for every crayon she bought me as a child that she would be a rich lady! (She said that about ketchup, too, though!)
Having attention deficit disorder as a child before it ever had a name, certainly made things challenging. I was always bringing report cards home saying, “Ann is on cloud nine, doesn’t pay attention, seems to be somewhere else.” But when it came to anything with color, art, or nature, I had to be upfront with hands on. From frying marbles, making rings out of Coke bottle rims, candle making and paper maché, I was always involved in creating, drawing, painting or making up something. My poor mother would certainly have been a lot richer without supporting all my escapades.
My older sister gave me a paint set for my birthday one year in my pre-teens and I cherished it. (Still have it!). It helped take me into the world of fine art down the road.
After high school graduation I went to college with intentions to do art and my newfound love – Biology. (Thanks to my 10th grade teacher!) Sadly, the art professor that most of my art classes were with did not care for my realistic style of art, as at the time, modern abstract was the thing. He told me I could not draw or paint and that I should get out of the art field. With a 1.9 grade point average, I didn’t need much more encouragement to stop. Between his low grades on my art, my ADD wrapping around Western Civilization and Algebra, it all just did not mesh well.
I was with some acquaintances one day that mentioned watercolor painting and that a teacher was coming to her home for private lessons – would I want to join them. I jumped at the chance and was so excited.
I fell in love with watercolor just simply because I loved mixing it with water for different effects. Years before, when I saw a picture of a painting by Albrecht Durer called Young Hare (1502) translated as Field Hare in German, I became mesmerized with watercolors, realizing the powerful effect from realism to a soft, demure, loose style all by the stroke of a brush.
Throughout the years I’ve dabbled with so many other arts and crafts, but my heart has been with watercolors. And now, after 18 years of nursing and 31 years of a sales career, I’ve finally settled into my passion and love of painting in watercolor. And the great thing is, I don’t have to worry about any grades! I can paint the way I want!
Art is such a subjective thing. I know that even with just with the watercolor medium there are considerable different arts involved. When someone asks me to paint a picture for them, I carefully explain that if they want a “true” depiction of the subject – they should stick with photographs. If they want a close rendering, then realistic watercolor may be for them, but if they want to just look at the painting and be reminded of something, then they would most likely do well with a watercolor.
I love watercolor because of the variety the medium holds. It can be soft, alluring, hard and distinct, demure and colorful, challenging and easy! And all of that can be in just one painting! You could spend countless hours in detail on one picture, and then, do another one within several minutes and enjoy the results of each.
I like the stage I’m at with my watercolors. I feel like I’m right in the middle. And I think that’s a good place. I know enough not to panic or throw away copious amounts of paper by knowing how to fix a mistake, or changing what is necessary in most cases, and to me that has been an accomplishment. And I know enough to know I will never learn it all. School is never out for the pro, and there’s always new colors, new ideas, new styles and new pictures to paint.
-submitted by the artist
