Patio ala Masa

“All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience.”
– Henry Miller

(Kinda like painting on masa.)



Patio ala Masa – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor on Masa Paper
I loved this reference by JustJean at WetCanvas.  I painted it on masa that had a thin coat of  Mod Podge on the surface.  The paintings I posted last week didn’t have any medium on the surface and this was much easier.  The paper is less fragile and you can blot off color, where the uncoated masa is too fragile and the paint is permanent once it hits the paper. I would have used acrylic matte medium, but I didn’t have any.   For some reason, I seem to have plenty of Mod Podge.  

This was pure pleasure to paint.  I especially love how the fence looks.  Check out Leslie White’s fence here.  Leslie’s painting  is what inspired me.

About Henry Miller

The bohemian American novelist Henry Miller is best known for his sexually daring autobiographical novels, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and for his love affair with benefactor Anaïs Nin. He was born in 1891 in New York. His writing blossomed after he moved to Paris in 1930 but was banned in the United States for its erotic content. Miller eventually won the right to publish in the U.S., becoming an icon of the sexual revolution. He died in 1980 in California.

Patio Bathed in Yellow

“Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.”
– Helen Keller



Patio Bathed in Yellow – 4″ x 7″ Watercolor

Yes, another “P” painting.  I had a great time doing this painting!  I manipulated the photo a bit in Photoshop to bring out the shadows and exaggerated them somewhat.  So fun!  The photo was contributed to the WetCanvas RIL by Marie d.

About Helen Keller

American author and activist Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880; she became blind and deaf after a childhood fever. When Helen was seven, her teacher, Annie Sullivan, coaxed her out of her sullen, angry shell and taught her to communicate. From then on, Keller took on the world. She graduated from Radcliffe, traveled the world visiting sweatshops and speaking out for the powerless, helped to found the ACLU, and wrote 11 books. She died in 1968.

The Patio

“Practice loving yourself in all your dimensions, not just when you act or look good… and especially when you don’t.”
–SARK – from the book Glad No Matter What



The Patio – 6″ x 8″ Watercolor

This is painted from a photo reference I got from WetCanvas.  I just can’t remember who it was that shared it.  It was a very intimidating reference, so I simplified it some.  It was fun!  I enjoyed making things up as I went along. 

SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) is an American author and illustrator of self-help books. Five of her sixteen books have been national bestsellers, and she has sold more than two million copies of her books.

SARK was born Susan Kennedy. At age ten, she became friends with an 80 year old neighbor, Mr. Boggs. When Mr. Boggs went to the hospital with a serious illness, he credited young Susan for helping him recover with the homemade cards and letters she sent every day for a month. No one else, he said, had visited or called during his illness. The experience inspired Kennedy to spend her life in some similar work.