perception
- 1. the act or faculty of perceiving
- 2. intuitive recognition of a truth, aesthetic, quality, etc. 
Wild Poppies - watercolor/pastel
The objective was to loosen up, be less concerned with detail. This was very difficult for a person who is enamored of detail.
The process. Using 300 lb Arches cold press watercolor paper, I wet the paper, pooled small containers of different colors on that paper, moved those colors around, pulled them off with rags or paper towels or poured it all off. Manipulated like crazy. Then sprayed it with water, lifted that off, and generally messed around. Woof. That was fun.
Finally, when it was dry I accentuated the detail, with more watercolor, even some pastels to make it into 'something' ... or not. What was interesting was figuring out what it was after all that floating, spraying, lifting. Poppies or other flowers are always pretty safe. For a first time wild watercolor, safe is good. There was some addition of a fixative somewhere during the process so that the pastels wouldn't move around while putting in those final touches. All things considered, it was quite a departure from my usual, maybe unhealthy, search for perfection. So in a sense, this exercise was an introduction to 'perception' in a good way. It's a fantastic process. Let go and give it a try.