About Me
- Diane Widler Wenzel
- The idea for COLOR BRIDGES came from many sources. Portland State College 1962,Professor Frederick Heidel's first painting assignment was to make a grid and explore mixing colors to arrange on the grid to see how they would look. Moving these painted pieces of paper on different backgrounds bring back 4 years of studying painting with Heidel. Each arrangement I have made are like his assignments. They have a goal of basics while allowing the emotions freedom. Another source was Professor Mary MacIntire at Western Washington University who was a member of Fiber Design and I had the honor of photographing for a statement about her process. She used to move around pieces of colored paper to design her fiber works.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
No waste water, no paint rags, watercolor painting on the Rotterdam cruise ship
For thirty days I roamed about the ship and shore excursions with folded accordion watercolor paper in my purse or pocket. The paper had been cut folded and tinted. Each separate accordion folded paper was labeled with a day's location.
I love the immediacy of the experience I derive in making this type of journal. Drawing and painting this way makes me feel the power of moving my finger along the contour of distant rocks as if I were touching them. I am very enthusiastic about seeing through the end of my pencil or brush or pen. I stay longer in one place experiencing the changing light and color of the sparkling waters and the graceful movement of marine life.
With paper in hand a few pens or pencils I started my small paintings to be finished in our state room or other locations on ship. Sometimes I carried my Sakura Koi Water Colors pocket field sketch box and spray bottle on some shore excursions but on this trip I needed to watch my steps on uneven streets so I did not paint off ship.
Before the trip I tried my watercolor sketch box and found the blues were all cool and the red and yellow not as intense as I would like. I supplemented the limited color palette with dabs of Winsor red, ultramarine gouache and titanium white. For a pure yellow, the Caran d'Ache crayons were not useful. I could have used perhaps a yellow fine point Sharpie poster paint pen.
The synthetic water well brushes were difficult to fill and the water ran our too quickly. I used the brushes without water stored in them. I didn't need an open container of water because of the properties of the synthetics. To make the paint wet enough I used a small spray bottle to mist my palette and paper. The synthetic fiber of the brush cleaned off on the Koi synthetic sponge. The paint clogged sponge made good grays on my paper. If there was too much sprayed water when I was finished the sponge soaked it all up so I could safely close the box.
At last I was free of dirty rags and spilling waste water. I feel satisfaction because have a personalized memory journal and my painting did not add any pollution to the ship or ocean.
I love the immediacy of the experience I derive in making this type of journal. Drawing and painting this way makes me feel the power of moving my finger along the contour of distant rocks as if I were touching them. I am very enthusiastic about seeing through the end of my pencil or brush or pen. I stay longer in one place experiencing the changing light and color of the sparkling waters and the graceful movement of marine life.
With paper in hand a few pens or pencils I started my small paintings to be finished in our state room or other locations on ship. Sometimes I carried my Sakura Koi Water Colors pocket field sketch box and spray bottle on some shore excursions but on this trip I needed to watch my steps on uneven streets so I did not paint off ship.
Before the trip I tried my watercolor sketch box and found the blues were all cool and the red and yellow not as intense as I would like. I supplemented the limited color palette with dabs of Winsor red, ultramarine gouache and titanium white. For a pure yellow, the Caran d'Ache crayons were not useful. I could have used perhaps a yellow fine point Sharpie poster paint pen.
The synthetic water well brushes were difficult to fill and the water ran our too quickly. I used the brushes without water stored in them. I didn't need an open container of water because of the properties of the synthetics. To make the paint wet enough I used a small spray bottle to mist my palette and paper. The synthetic fiber of the brush cleaned off on the Koi synthetic sponge. The paint clogged sponge made good grays on my paper. If there was too much sprayed water when I was finished the sponge soaked it all up so I could safely close the box.
At last I was free of dirty rags and spilling waste water. I feel satisfaction because have a personalized memory journal and my painting did not add any pollution to the ship or ocean.
Water-soluble crayon accident on the port side stern
The lower prominade of the Rotterdam was a favorite outdoor location for painting. I thought the ship had given me a perfect table for me - the life jacket box at the port side stern overlooking the wake of the ship had a waist high large flat top for me to put my painting supplies on or for me to sit. At 5:00 AM the maintenance crew always hosed off the teak wood deck and fixtures. When I went out the water was still evaporating. I did not notice that my favorite table was also wet. I was happy to paint the previous day's Sierra Madre sketches that I made on a hike. I needed some nice Carand'ache majentas and pure yellows. But in opening them up I spilt them on the wet table and immediately there was color all over the pure bright ship white. I mopped it up with a few facial tissues. And put some random colors on the back of my folded accordion watercolor. It sort of fit in with the bright colors that pep up even the poorist village huts.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
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