The Book is Back

Fun fact: What got me back into painting after a too many years-long hiatus was when Kimberly Gordon shared some watercolor sketches she’d done over on her blog for Wildfox. They were all done in a little handmade watercolor book and I’d check her blog regularly (It was one of those that I’d check daily) to see if she’d posted any more sketches. That book just reeled me back in. The textured paper, the ease of it all, and well, I just missed painting. Then she posted a Q&A one day and someone asked where she got her watercolor book. Yhatzee. It was called a Punjab Watercolor book. I immediately googled it, found one, and bought a little square one that day. Then I busted out my little travel watercolor set, found some pens…et voila. Bek got back into painting.

I shared the first little sketch from that book on here…then somehow filling that sucker up got me back into painting.

The thing is all my training is done in oils – I had some studio space during and right after college, never glamorous, but big enough for the paints, the cleanup, had ventilation so I didn’t die, and I painted mainly on large canvases with a palette knife. I had a blast, but life and living situations never really allowed that space anymore. Sayonara painting. But watercolor, ohhh watercolor, it doesn’t require too many tools, is a quick and easy setup/clean up (even though I am bad at the cleanup part) and you can take them everywhere.

Especially if you have a little punjab watercolor book.

Somewhere in the past few years, I’ve grown more and more anxious before I start a painting, it’s kind of like pressure to create something new and rad or something. I guess that’s part of any creative endeavor: writing, cooking, photography, etc. But what’s also crucial is a space to create, play and just…have fun.

Which is why I got a new watercolor book.

And here’s a few pages I filled up while in Sayulita.

Not sure if I’ll keep on sharing these because the whole purpose is to mess around without pressure to share…but, I still had to share. Oops.

Someone slap me over the head if I take years off in between sketching like this because, damn, this stuff is therapeutic.

Create, but also remember to just play. It kind of all goes hand in hand.

…and in case anyone out there is itching to get back into painting, it’s called a punjab watercolor book. I definitely recommend picking up one.

Then here’s my little Winsor & Newton travel watercolor set that I’ve had for the past 19 years. Whoa.

Now, everyone who reads this go sketch or doodle or something. Fun times.