Switching Mediums

People sometimes ask if I've ever painted with oils.  A very long time ago I started out painting in oil.   I had some success with still lifes, but had a harder time with landscapes.  My main problem was trying to lighten values with white paint.  It always looked chalky and often never got light enough.

One day the art teacher at my school said, "Carol, your paintings are pretty good, but why don't you try watercolor?"  Those five words changed the course of my life.

The transition wasn't easy.  Controlling the water was my biggest problem.  Too much water on the page, and then too much more water in the brush and on the palette.  But I liked the way the brush slid across the page.  I had temper tantrums when things didn't go well.  One day, shortly after I purchased a very expensive sable brush, I got so angry that I smashed the ferrel of the brush half way across.  "That's okay.  I quit anyway."  Half an hour later I was back in the studio with some pliers to repair the damage.

I like the immediacy of watercolor.  I like the transparency and the layering.  I like charging color into an area and watching the resulting granulation.  I just feel more free with watercolor. 

But just for grins here are two of my early efforts in oil.