"'Tis pity wine should be so deleterious..."

I’m a huge fan of loose, free watercolors where the transparent colors play on the page. Far too often, though, I’m afraid my own watercolors are stiff and lifeless, so I will sometimes push myself to experiment with exercises in efforts to try to loosen up.

I’m a strong proponent of “going right in with paint,” without sketching anything first. For some reason, if the result is a wonky painting, that doesn’t bother me. I guess I feel that the not-sketching-first gives me an excuse if it's not what I initially envisioned from my efforts. I also like playing with paints wet-in-wet on the page, because the colors merge and dance on paper, and you’re never quite sure if that dance will be a ballet, a tango, or the rumba.

Once, I decided it might relax me to drink a glass of red wine while I painted, and I thought that just might be the ticket. I was pretty engrossed in my painting when it suddenly occurred to me that the wine had an awful after-taste, and upon further examination, I realized I was dipping my paintbrush into the wine, and drinking the paint water.

So much for good intentions.

“Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.”

(-Homer)