2005.
Watercolour.
It had been many years since I’d used watercolours, and determined to do things right this time around I set about stretching my paper before I got to work (something I’d never bothered with in the past). I filled the tub with an inch of hot water, submerged my sheet, and left it for a good hour before fishing it out to stretch on a piece of varnished plywood.
It wasn’t until I was well into the piece that I realized the mistake I had made. The heavy soak and hot water had stripped the sizing from the paper, and this was quickly turning my efforts into a muddy, pulpy mess. I still like the composition of this one, however, and keep it around as a reminder of how the best lessons are learned.
