Learning To Love Watercolor!

I have created this blog with a focus on WATERCOLOR, as an aid to my students and others who have an interest in this medium.  Come back periodically to see what is going on in the Watercolor world, and you just may learn something new. 

"White Clematis" Watercolor

The below painting, "White Clematis," was one of my earlier works, probably painted around 2002, and was sold long ago.  I mostly was painting in watercolor back then, however now I explore most mediums and love them all.  This perennial exotic-looking vine provided years of beauty for us in our Clinton, Connecticut backyard.  It grew up our back porch and along the railing to the deck, greeting us with dozens of big beautiful blooms each morning and throughout the day.  Payback each year for cold winters and slugging through the snow to get to work. But ah-h-h-h, Florida, their flowers are even more spectacular--and perfect for painting in Watercolor!

"White Clematis" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

I will post more of my watercolor paintings as time permits, but for now I will focus on my current classes at the Vero Beach Museum of Art and use this as a teaching aid.  For further inquiries, call me at 772-584-9169.

Enjoy!

JUMP IN!

My motto with Watercolor is, "Be brave, have fun, and learn to love color!" However, in order to love color you need to KNOW color--that is, the names of colors and what they look like, how they react with water, what happens when you use different papers, and  what happens when mixed with other colors.  There is a lot to learn because there are many colors and papers. And then there is knowing which ones are staining and which ones are opaque, and which ones are somewhere in the middle.  It all takes time, but your learning curve will be shortened considerably if you paint often. And the more you learn the more you'll enjoy your painting experience. Each new painting is an adventure filling your mind and eyes with color and joy.  So let's get started!

COLOR  Chart

The Watercolor chart below has been created as a way of learning colors, and so that you can take the guesswork out of what's under that tiny cap in the tube. The colors below happen to be on my palette, and yours might be different.  The crow and the poppy are there just because I wanted to paint them. 

Watercolor Color Chart by Judy Burgarella

"Three Pears" Watercolor

The following watercolor of "Three Pears" is a watercolor copy of an oil painting I did several years ago. A nice addition to a kitchen wall.  The oil painting of this subject I kept for myself and it sits on a high shelf in my kitchen where I can enjoy it every day. Would look good also as a single pear on that cloth.  Following the Three Pears watercolor are photos of the step-by-step process--ugly stages and all.  

"Three Pears" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"Three Pears" - Step-by-Step

From pencil sketch to dropping in color, and on to refinement.  This technique requires layering, and lots of patience as it goes through its "Ugly Stage."

The Painting Process by Judy Burgarella

The above method of layering is one of many.  Some approaches to watercolor are bold and one-stroke, with no layering, and the opposite would be "photo realism," which involves painstakingly painting every little detail.   And there are all the many approaches to watercolor in between the two.  Plus there is spattering, running, straw-blowing and many many other fun things you can do with watercolor.  Be brave, explore ... and play!

A Sampling of Judy Burgarella's Watercolors

Following are some of my watercolor paintings I have done over the years, posted here to inspire you!  Some are available for sale.  For further inquiries call me at 772-584-9169, in Sebastian, Florida.

"Blue Heron's Shadow" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"Blue Heron's Shadow was created from a photograph my daughter Robin took while on vacation. It is currently available for sale.

"The Piano" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"The Piano inspired me one day when I awoke to find the sun casting this beautiful shadow on  my white piano.  I never did learn to play very well, but the piano was the focal point of our living room when we lived in Connecticut. Talented visitors would play it, and we'd decorate it for all the holidays. It was an old crusty brown flaky thing that was missing some notes, and we cleaned and painted it, and I made new notes with wire and felt and it sounded great! When we moved to Florida, however, we left it there, and my dream to learn to play the piano ended that day.

"Waterlily" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"Waterlily" was painted on-site at a pond in Clinton Connecticut with my Shoreline Plein Air Painters. When it started to pour, I grabbed my newly set up supplies and ran into a gazebo by the shore, plucking a waterlily and lilipad on the way to paint from.  I had great fun painting this, even though everyone went home and I was by myself. Not bad for an impromptu creation!

"Bouquet by the Window"

The credit of this lovely watercolor composition does not belong to me, but to an instructor who provided the photo and pattern from which I painted. He had a full class and I had a great time chatting while painting. I donated it to the Vero Beach Art Club to help them raise funds during Covid, however it is still for sale at the Club's 'now successful' gallery.

"Yellow Roses" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"Yellow Roses" was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter Tracy, who lives in Chandler, AZ, and sent them to me.  When I took a photo looking down on them they screamed "Paint Me!"  So I did.

"Farm in Connecticut" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

I passed by this farm frequently when driving to my sister's home in North Haven, CT, from our home in Clinton, CT, and one day I spotted this interesting shadow while driving by.  A U-turn later I had it in my camera and couldn't wait to paint it.  Although I hate snow now, this brings back melancholy moments of blissful fun playing in the snow with our kids, and the peaceful feeling of a blanket of new fresh (not dirty!) snow.

"Liberty" Watercolor by Judy Burgarella

"Liberty" was painted for a show I curated for a bank in Clinton, Connecticut right after 9-11. Everyone had something to say about that terrible day, and artists needed to express their emotions with the brush.  And so we had this show that made an impact in some way on all who saw it. Little did we know that 9-11 would not be the worst disaster to befall America, or the world for that matter.  

"A Day at the Beach"

This sweet little painting was created in my head, which I almost never do, as an artist can develop bad habits and gradually lose track of how light falls on matter or the actual color of things.  Painting in plein air or from a model is the best, as you are seeing the real thing, and can go closer and examine the exact sparkle of light on a leaf or the glisten on person's nose. Ah, so much more fun too!

More to come when time permits!

Judy Burgarella

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