Why Not?

.....up high in banana tree...."

Sometimes you just have to stick your NECK out and go for it. You are looking at my first big time, stick my neck out, go for it, watercolor BIRD.

In case you don't recognize him? He or she is a Sand Hill crane caught flying through Southern Colorado. He and she do this twice a year, and he does this really hot mating dance in the Spring. Whilst not doing arabesques, he and she are helping a lot of  farmers harvest their crops.

But I've done watercolor birds before? Why is this one special? Well 'cause I went to the art store and grabbed some big old honkin' WATERCOLOR surface.  It's Watercolor Paper I'm told that only the BIG GUYS can afford to use. Cleverly I limited myself to one sheet.

You know how you see the photography winners in magazines. And you know how they are required to tell you what film or digital setting they used? You know how they tell you the make of the camera and the lens size? And they you have to tell them the  speed you shot it at.?

Well I don't know if that's required of BIG TIME Water Colorists. But I clearly want to make the most out of my investment. So here goes:

I painted this on a slice of Lanaquarelle paper, and if my French is any good it's hot pressed and satin grain (seems a little rough to me to be satin.).

For further status they inform me its made by the same formula they used in 1590.  (It's kind of scary to think this might be around that long).Wow!

Oh, the size? Translating from the metric it appears to be 22 inches by 30 inches in dimension.

Now here's a conundrum.  It says this right here on a sticky label..."140"....that's ONE HUNDRED FORTY...lbs....POUNDS. I am pleased to announce that I can lift 140 POUNDS between my thumb and my index finger on either hand.

Oh, time of exposure? I think I used up 4 hours. Now that's only if you don't count the 7 hours driving to and from Monte Vista to photograph (sometimes you need to be careful when you used the word shoot) the big graceful avian beasts.  And let's not forget the two hours of waiting for just the right light to snap the shutter.

I don't know if these things are important to know if you are looking for an award? But if I ever sell it I'm going to want to recoup my expenses, right?  Isn't that how you price artwork?  

Clearly I have a lot to learn.

 

This is the only frame untouched. I have to share the credit for the rest of them with Adobe Photo Shop. Gee...what's next?