Wool.
In anticipation of sheep shearing this week, I am doing a watercolor of colorful wools.
(it also helped that I was completely inspired by Anna's sweet knitting work ~ she is a great artist and her blog is so filled with Mum love).
Eye candy from the Fiber Fair in Hailey, Idaho
The shearing this week at the farm will be: foreheads and rumps. Neither area does well with loads of wool through the winter -- so a bit of a clean up is good. It will be a fun day. Kate & Bea (my bottle fed lambs) will certainly love the attention and the saltines I will sneak in my pockets.
I think the trick to painting fibers is in the texture.
In watercolors it is easy to add texture through sketching (pencil, pen) and layering paint, lots of paint.
I am learning to sit back and let things dry and then add a slightly different hue on top. Sometimes I get really brave and add a completely new color, too. Try something funky and fun ~ you may really like it.
What are you working on this week?
Want to come help me shear some sheep? :o)
love & lambs,
jj