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A glimpse into the life and thoughts of an art teacher in Hawai`i
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Have you been painting lately? Do you remember what we discussed in class?
I thought I would take a few minutes to go over things to refresh your memory. I will also show you the stages to the white hibiscus painting I began in class so you can see how you might go about completing yours.
 We began class by filling in the color wheel with all bright colors and then learned how to mix our dull, neutral colors.
Do you remember that half the palette was filled with warm colors and the other half cool colors?
We found our neutral colors by mixing complements together. Complementary colors can be found directly across from one another on the wheel, one of them is warm, the other is cool. When these colors are side-by-side in a painting they make one another brighter. When mixed together, they dull one another down.
The temperature of color is important because if you want to keep your colors bright, you have to keep the temperature of the colors you are using similar. Don't mix too many warms with too many cools or you will be in the "Neutral Zone" of dull colors. 
To begin we sketched our painting on the paper. Then we wet the paper and hid the drawing with jute, gauze fluff, coffee filters, and crepe paper, before topping it off with wet paint. Once it was about 90% dry, we lifted off the toppings to find our painting.
The important thing to watch for when lifting your "camouflage" is to see if paint moves when you remove the coverings. If not, you are good to go. At this stage, there is very little delineation of shape.
Your next step is to begin to define the subject. Here you can see I began by defining the stamens of each flower. I also started to put edges to the bud at the center top of the painting. The border of the painting is still largely undefined.
In this last photo, you can see much more of the flowers have been defined and  the leaves are taking shape in the background.
Yes, this really is the same painting from the one up above.
The decisions you make while you paint help you to define your subject.
How much do you want to show, and how much do you want to leave to the viewer to find on their own? You are the artist, you get to decide.
Each painting will teach you something new. Each painting is a fresh opportunity to see what you can see.
Take your time. I didn't finish this painting in one, or even two sittings. I put it away for a day or two between sessions.
Each time you look at your painting you will see something new. You change, your ability to see what is there will change. Enjoy the process! Please remember, this is FUN!
And remember that the more you do this, the easier it gets, the more you will see, and the better your paintings will become.
This hibiscus painting is for sale; if it tickles you, please send me an email.
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Mahalo nui loa for taking the class with me. Please consider sharing this email with a friend either by using the forwarding link at the bottom of the page, or by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn buttons at the top of the page.
A Hui Hou,
PS You can find my official page on facebook fan page HERE . Become my online fan by pressing the Like button.
"Inspiration comes while one is working." ~Henri Matisse **********
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Born in Port Washington, WI and educated at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, Patrice Federspiel first visited Hawai`i in January 2000. Within five months she had found a way to quit her job, sell her home, and move to Hawai`i to paint.
Previously an oil painter, Patrice learned the joys of watercolor upon her arrival in Honolulu in June 2000. She has been painting full time ever since. It is her intention to live her "Real Life" creatively, from the inside out; and to inspire others, through her paintings, art lessons, words, and example, to do the same.
Patrice is currently the president of the Hawai`i Watercolor Society.
"I paint with passion, live without regrets, and move joyfully forward through life." -Patrice Federspiel
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Patrice Federspiel
PO Box 61707
Honolulu, Hawaii 96839
(808) 392-9104
www.artofaloha.com
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