I thought today would be a good day to show you something that I have been working on. It's a watercolor-in-progress of the Old Spanish Mission located in the swamp at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Here's the sneak peek:
If you have been to Cypress Gardens, you've seen the ruins while taking the flat bottom boat tour. Others may remember it from a scene in the movie, The Patriot. It has an eerie quality about it that I love, as most ruins do.
It's been a very long time since I've done a watercolor. I find it very challenging - probably the most challenging out of all the paint mediums. Why? Well, with watercolors, you really can't step back and make changes. So with that in mind, it takes me forever to build the intensity of shadows to my liking.
Subject matter can be quite challenging too. I enjoyed creating the landscape in this watercolor, but found the built environment quite daunting to paint. I'd much rather draw architecture; I feel so disconnected from it when using a brush! The fact that this is an architectural ruin adds to the challenge. I believe the human eye has the ability to auto correct when something slips away from being symmetrical or askew. That has made this subject very difficult to paint. I think the next time I paint ruins, I will lean more towards an Impressionistic style vs. a realistic style.
Either way, I've enjoyed the challenge of this painting and can't wait to get it out there. It needs some work on the shadows and textures - still a little flat. I'll post it again when it is completed and let you know where you can get your own print.
Have a great weekend!
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