Tall Paintings

Most of these pictures stand about four feet tall, emulating an Asian hanging scroll, and use a combination of acrylic and watercolor. Watercolor on paper bears some similarity to the ink used by traditional East Asian artists. Watercolor techniques greatly exceed the simple dichotomy of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry treatments. Paint applied to damp paper behaves very differently than paint on paper that is thoroughly soaked. You can also layer one color over another that has dried and cured for a few days. This works especially well with contrasting or complementary colors. While cameras can't detect the subtleties of these transparent layers, the human eye can perceive them, and they take on a kind of lustrous pearlescent effect.

Also, putting matte acrylic on parts of the paper can create a shell or barrier between the paper and a subsequent layer of watercolor. When the watercolor is prevented from soaking into the paper fibers, it takes on a waxy surface texture, and the edges become ultra-sharp. This makes a great contrast to the natural softness of the mixed-color washes and creates a fragile delicate beauty.