Pleeza No Squeeza

This winter this year was harder than previous winters and it's lingering.  I'm so tired of show, ice and the torrential fits of rain in-between.  So I decided it was time to do something colorful.  I can't wait for spring to arrive!  

"Pleeza No Squeeza"

10" x 20"

Watercolor foundation with Luminance archival quality colored pencil on 140# hot press Fabriano Artistico cotton paper. 

Note: This is the first time I've used Fabriano Artistico paper.  I am very please with how it handled the watercolor and the colored pencil.  I'm not sure it will replace the Arches HP paper I've been using but I bought some more to continue working with it some more.  

The foundation

I decided to tinker with the foundation layer.  It's watercolor which isn't my strong suit but the more I tinker with it, the more comfortable I'm getting with the medium.  I'm not ready to say this phase was fun but I'm not as uncomfortable with it as I once was.  I purposely stop in the mid-tone range for this process to be used with colored pencil.  

An idea in rough draft

The Timberline project kept me working in black and white for months.  I'd like to do something in color to change things up.  Thinking of doing a scene from Pike's Market in Seattle. Maybe.  It's bigger than I normally work so I'm pondering the time it will take to execute.  But it would be fun.