Watercolorist's 25th year studio cleaning

Cotton rag watercolor paper is precious and I had stacks of an estimated 900 full and almost full sheet watercolors unframed and without mats. Many have been previously framed and exhibited but are mostly not my interest now. I have put them in order of subjects ranging from people to beach scenery to abstracts. The stacks were on shelves with no more space to add more. I have difficulty finding specific paintings even though they are well organized.

Yesterday I felt very brave and I removed aproximately 250 paintings but did not throw away a single one yet. First I croped small gems from dozens of them. Two I liked so well I framed them for my January exhibit. After looking through all the 900 paintings I found the collage I was looking for and framed it as well.

My husband got into the act and experimented with the idea of bleaching one painting that I will cover with absorbent gesso for another watercolor.

I am still in the process of croping, reserficing, and sorting piles of unfinished work and saving bright scraps for collage.