My earliest memory of watercolors was in a summer art program at age 5 or 6. The teacher was trying to teach us color mixing to create the brown of a tree trunk. My efforts resulted a puddly, rainbow-colored tree trunk. When my mom came to pick me up, the teacher showed her my sloppy, soggy rainbow tree and told my mom I had quite the imagination. It was the first time I heard the term "Creative license" used. I was devasted. I hadn't meant to take "creative license," I was attempting to be representational, dammit! It may have been that moment that watercolors became my artistic arch nemesis. And also my favorite media to observe in galleries and watch other artists excel at, with undying admiration!Determined to conquer my fear of the medium, and even learn to love it for myself, I enlisted in a class as my art elective. And gasp, needless to say, I am in love. I think there must be some fear involved in falling in love, or it doesn't seem real. Just to see those translucent colors mixing and separating on the palette, or a well-made mistake on the paper... a drip, a splash, blooming, spreading, bleeding, salted, splattered. a beautiful mess.
