Belize – Daily Fiber

Finished Object Friday – Belize Memory

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Laura Kate

Today I finished my first attempt to capture a feeling in watercolor.

On December 12th, I wrote this entry in my Belize journal, describing the boat trip back from the reef after snorkeling there:

“On either side of me the sea rolled by, with bright, transparent turquoise water punctuated by amorphous, dark green forms of sea grass and coral clumps below the surface. After the first several miles had passed, I began to detect bits and pieces of the shoreline. They came in the form of striated horizontal lines, looking like a slow fade from one color to the next. First sea green, then turquoise, followed by the strip of land separating the bay from the lagoon. The land was dark, with bumpy forms of vegetation. Beyond and above that was a cool blue strip of atmosphere. Was it mist, fog or ordinary clouds? I couldn’t tell. Eventually I detected the purplish forms of the mountains, overlapping each other and rising from the mist.”

I’m relatively happy with this painting. It captures the way I felt about what I saw that day. Working abstractly was an experiment. I might try to paint the scene again using a more organic style.

This is also my first painting on Arches hot press paper. It took a little getting used to. Pigments used were Winsor green, Thalo blue, Prussian blue, quinacridone gold, quinacridone red, carbazole violet and Payne’s gray.

painting

Belize Memory WIP

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Laura Kate

Since Sunday, I have painted several sample palettes for the imaginary Belize waterscape. I have also completed my first watercolor sketch. Its subject is the mountains and sky, including a little of the shoreline.

This type of work helps me learn how the different paints I have chosen behave in the mixing and glazing process. I also have narrowed my choices of colors.

And I’ve come to the conclusion that hot press paper will give a better result with this technique, so I’m off to the art supply store in search of same.

drawing, painting

Belize Journal – A Memory

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Laura Kate

I am returning to my Belize journal in an effort to coax from my memory the images I experienced on the return boat ride from our snorkeling outing. Memories are all I have of this experience. Because of the choppiness of the ride and the spray of the sea no cameras were in use during this part of the trip.

First, it’s important to mention that I wasn’t wearing glasses. They were stowed away so I wouldn’t lose them overboard. I believe that state of fuzzy vision contributed mightily to the dream-like quality of the experience. Here’s what I remember.

I was sitting on the port side of the boat, with my left hand to the south and my face to the west. On either side of me the sea rolled by, with bright, transparent turquoise water punctuated by amorphous, dark green forms of sea grass and coral clumps below the surface. After the first several miles had passed, I began to detect bits and pieces of the shoreline. They came in the form of striated horizontal lines, looking like a slow fade from one color to the next. First sea green, then turquoise, followed by the strip of land separating the bay from the lagoon. The land was dark, with bumpy forms of vegetation. Beyond and above that was a cool blue strip of atmosphere. Was it mist, fog or ordinary clouds? I couldn’t tell.

Eventually I detected the purplish forms of the mountains – roughly pyramid shaped, overlapping and rising from the mist. Above the mountains stretched the sky. I have no memory of its color. It could have been layered in clouds, thinning out to pale blue at the apex. Or it could have been a sky blue, pale just above the mountains, and then intensifying into deep blue in the upper atmosphere. I wish I could recall this detail.

**Preliminary palette for Belize memory**

This dream-like state carried on until we passed through the narrow strip and returned to the inlet from where we had started.

I will attempt to paint my impression. The colors are definitely more vivid to me than the shapes are. So, I plan to render the shapes in geometric, abstract fashion.

Now that I have a rough layout and some color options, I can start doing watercolor sketching. I’m pretty excited to start on this one and hope to get painting during the next few weeks. I’m also aware that the design has much potential as a fiber work.

painting

Belize Journal III

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Laura Kate

Our flight to Belize was almost due south, as the country lies on the eastern edge of Central America. Its landform is in the shape of a rectangle, with its north border on the Yucatan, the south on Guatemala and the east faces the Caribbean Sea. From the Belize City airport, we traveled more than two hours by car to Hopkins Bay resort. Upon arriving at our lodging, we got our first look at the beach.

The little geography lesson I wrote above wasn’t just for your information. It was to explain why all of the resorts in Belize face east. This fact brought us great joy each morning between the hours of 5 and 6 am, when the sun cleared the horizon.

Bill was always up and away with his camera well ahead of the key moment. I seldom overslept it as a result of another curious phenomena. With great regularity, around this time of dawn, I heard a mysterious tapping sound, as if fingers on the window – rat-tat-tat-tat. I thought Bill was trying to get my attention. But no one was in sight.

Ah, the sun was just coming up.

We eventually concluded that it was a bird that came tapping, although we never caught it in the act.

When I returned home, I was keen to paint a Hopkins Bay sunrise. I chose the above photo as my reference, although I had to lighten it up quite a bit to see the colors and the details sufficiently.

It took me two tries to paint the sky to my satisfaction. Pigments were new gamboge, quinacridone red, prussian blue, Thalo blue, carbazole violet, raw sienna, burnt sienna and a little transparent orange.

I miss you, Hopkins Bay.

painting

Belize Journal Part II

Posted on November 18, 2021December 2, 2021 by Laura Kate

It’s been about three weeks since my last post. I was surprised by how much time had elapsed. My time has been occupied working to repair one of our rental properties and knitting gifts for Christmas.

To make up for my absence, I want to share with you a painting based on a photograph from my recent trip to Belize and the story behind the photo.

I call it Red Dragonfly Waterfall.

The photo itself is not very good quality. Due to to location of the sun, all my shots have these solar flares in them. But it gives you the essence of the place.

This adventure began with a drive down a bumpy dirt road for several miles. After enduring a noisy greeting by a gang of howler monkeys (very loud!) we reached the entrance to Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve. Surrounded on three sides by Mayan mountains, this preserve is the only one of its kind specifically dedicated to saving jaguars. Our guide, Pablo, offered the group three options for hiking: easy, moderate, or difficult. We chose moderate. This one stretched about two miles through the forest, ending in a narrow descent to a waterfall.

**After applying areas of masking fluid, I painted Initial washes, rainbow, sky and some foliage.**

We could hear it long before the waterfall came into view. I would estimate that the water tumbled down about twenty feet into a modest pool that was about six feet deep in its center. One of our party shed most of his clothes, grabbed his waterproof camera and waded in to take some video. I cautiously splashed my feet, then rested on a bench thoughtfully placed at the water’s edge.

A bold red dragonfly was flying around the area, pausing from time to time on an upright twig. I tried to several times to take his picture, but was unable to get a decent shot. So I sat back to enjoy the environs.

**Next came layers of glazing, some color and a little salt effect.**

After the warm and sweaty walk, the cool dampness of the place revived us.

Then it was time to work our way up the switchbacks and return to park headquarters, where Pablo laid out a delicious lunch of chicken, rice and fruit.

We saw no jaguars that day, but I understand they are nocturnal animals. The birds, trees and flowers provided plenty of color and sound for our pleasure.

I was most grateful for the experience.

**Masking fluid removed, details painted in.**

Pigments include Winsor yellow, green gold, Thalo blue, quinacridone red, raw sienna, burnt sienna and payne’s gray. On 9 x 12 cold press Fabriano Studio paper.