Summer at the Vineyard
16 x 20 watermedia on canvas
Murphy's Law played a joke on me. After hanging 25+ paintings and then taking new paintings up to City Cafe to replace the ones that sold, I thought, why can't these be canvases instead of heavy frames with glass! Not to mention the expense of framing. So I painted a detail from "Summer Has Arrived" with watercolor and matte medium on a canvas. How liberating was this compared to watercolor on paper. I am able to wipe paint off and I didn't have to "save my white". There is no white paint in watercolor and I am a firm believer that white acrylic, gouache etc. will just ruin the luminosity of transparent watercolor, so all of the whites in my watercolors are the white of the paper. This means I "saved" them by painting around or using masking fluid. I still handled the whites / lights similarly. But, if I lost some of the railing or other lights, I could easily lift it out.
Oh, so here is where Murphy came in. I single handedly skipped in to hang this painting practically dangling on one finger because it was so light, there was no glass to break, no frame that would get chipped. Well, a buyer called. He wanted me to come down on the price. I told him this was my latest work and I was happy for it to come home with me, plus I have "friendly" prices. A few days passed, the buyer called again. He pointed out that all of my other paintings were framed, but, this one and that he would buy it at my asking price if I put a frame on it. I explained the reason, but, he won. So here I painted on canvas to avoid framing and my buyer wanted it with a frame. Thanks, Murphy. I do have to add, after I put it in the frame, I think I would have felt comfortable asking for 3 times the original price. The frame made a huge difference.
What do you think? Do you prefer watercolor on paper? Watercolor on canvas?
Thanks for visiting! Have a great week!
What a lovely painting! And also such a great way of painting it, on a canvas! Bright idea, though I'm still not quite sure I get how you can wipe the colour off! I must be missing something? :0)
ReplyDeleteI like the painting.
ReplyDeleteI’ve only experimented on canvas a few times. I liked the results, but haven’t really done enough to comment more.
I had no idea it was possible to paint with watercolor on canvas!! But it looks absolutely stunning...worth a try indeed.I agree with you on the heavy frames, but I think it is always better to somehow protect watercolors from the air, light , smog or whatever, so I will always frame them.
ReplyDeleteHi Liana! Long ago I tried to paint with watercolour on pure linen but it was too absorbent. Did you use normal canvas as for oil painting? Did you prepare the surface? It looks marvellous! regarding the frame, how to avoid a stubborn client? impossible
ReplyDeleteAnamaria, I used normal canvas for oil or acrylic. The surface was prepared. It was necessary to use a matte or glossy medium in order for the watercolor to adhere to the paint. It is not the same experience as painting on paper.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation, Liana!So I'll wait to try because I still have technical problems with tradicional watercolour
DeleteHello Liana:)I've used canvas before. I takes a lot more time to dry so you can change things much longer then with paper. Your painting is very nice! I do like the colors in the front very much. Great job!
ReplyDelete