Emerging from the Scribbles

Another fantastic bird prepares to take flight

Fantastic bird painted, embellished, fussy cut

Hello, Friend,

I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen, but a fantastic bird has emerged from the scribbles. Huzzah! The fussy cutting of the birds and branches is oddly satisfying. One miscut and it could all go horribly wrong! Being that I have a tendency to ‘Madge’ things, this is a distinct possibility. Defying all odds, I’ve managed to not Madge it, twice. I shall tempt fate with a third bird in the very near future. Fingers crossed (metaphorically speaking as they must remain uncrossed for fancy cutting.)

The birds begin with a graphite (pencil) sketch that I refine, stepping away and coming back again to see it with ‘fresh eyes.’ Once I’m satisfied with the sketch, I add watercolor in layers. I let areas dry and come back with more color so I can create gradation and mottled areas. I wash colors into other colors with care to prevent them from becoming muddy. This is another exercise in patience. Watercolor is less forgiving than other mediums. It’s futzy and unpredictable. There are moments in every piece where I’m quite certain it’s all over. I have to exhale and move through that feeling. Color can be lifted when rewet with a paper towel or a sponge or paintbrush, adding metallic washes can create dimension and subtle shimmer. It’s a balancing act to make sure you don’t overwork the paper.

When I’m satisfied with the base watercolor, I let it dry completely and then the fun part begins. I use a fountain pen with a fine nib or an ultra fine point illustrator’s marker to add subtle definition. A judicious application of Posca paint pens adds bursts of more saturated color. Once this is step complete and dried, I fussy cut the bird and branches from the watercolor paper sheet.

Next I’ll work on the digital collage background assembled from documents and articles related to the ‘secrets’ being revealed by this fantastic bird.

“The suspense is terrible. I hope it’ll last.”

Willy Wonka (quoting Oscar Wilde)

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