Woven Studio Hollyhocks

15x22 watercolor on cold press 140 lb paper, made from weaving two almost identical images together into one piece.  These red and pink hollyhocks grow at my studio.  The first painting just did not work to my liking so another was done.  Cutting one into vertical strips and the other into horizontal strips, I carefull wove them.  This work is SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Tulips - WIP woven watercolor

 



reference photo

It has been awhile since I did a work in progress (WIP ) and even longer since doing a watercolor that is 'woven'.  With this technique, you must do two paintings alike as seen in today's pencil sketch BELOW.  When done, one will be cut into vertical strips and the other horizontal strips, then woven into its own painting.

Two pencil drawings 15x11 on 140 lb cold press Canson watercolor paper, using ref photo to get shapes correct.

With both side by side on DRY paper I started with the uppermost top tulip, making it variegated, applying arylide yellow and transparent pyrrol orange with 1" flat sable brush.  Alternating colors I switched back and forth with each stroke trying to have them identical.

Second tulip with more reds and pinks variations was next, letting colors mingle.  Colors:  Alizarin crimson, permanent rose, Grumbacher red, arylide, quinacridones violet and magenta.  Pale green made with arylide and Prussian blue was painted.  Stay tuned for more.
Images COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Woven Studio Hollyhocks

15x22 watercolor done by painting two almost identical works then cutting one in vertical wavy strips and the other in horizontals.  Woven together the strips make an exciting new piece of art from boring or otherwise overlooked scenes.  This one was my first attempt and is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Woven Watercolor: Country Icons



Here it is! Two into one completed work, 22x15 inches that I will mount onto a support, mat, and frame.  Hopefully the viewer can make out what the still life is with lemons, grapes, zinnias and the blue and white pitchers and bowl.



Woven Watercolors: Two Become One

In this photo I've cut both half sheets, 22x15 inches into wavy strips.  One is vertical as on the left and the other horizontal as seen on the right.  The next step is to weave them into one.  That means probably at least 3 strips will be left out.  Since the watercolor on the right was the original one in which I messed up the foreground table, I'll remove that bottom horizontal strip.  So do stay tuned and I'll show you the finished result.

The Original Flowers of Passion

Here it is the awful boring piece that was too blah! 15x22 watercolor. It was such fun to cut it up. As usual I got too detailed...

Flowers of Passion - woven watercolor

15x22 work is actually two identically painted scenes of pink roses in front of a house. The original was ho-hum boring (I'll post it soon for comparison) so a few years later did another exactly like it as I'd saved the drawing. I got the idea of weaving them together after seeing the work of Nancy Maas, which is much looser and not as tightly woven. One painting you cut wavy strips horizontally, and the other cut vertical strips, then weave in and out. When done I vacuum mounted onto acid free matboard to frame it. Now it looks much more interesting!

Woven Flowers of Passion

15x22 two watercolors painted identically, then cut one in wavy horizontal strips and the other vertical and woven together to make a new painting. I hated the original pink and red roses scene with a white cottage in background so this was a neat way to salvage the work and create a little interest. It has been secured to matboard to keep it straight and sturdy.