Learning to Write from Watercolors

Yesterday one of my fellow students at a watercolor workshop said she liked my paintings because they are childlike. She meant it as a compliment. I think she was being quite kind.

After five days of trying to capture any likeness of a tree, I have to admit that I am a bit discouraged. I can see it, feel it and almost taste it. But I can't paint it. Yet.

But I am learning how watercolor has made me a better writer. 

I now see shapes instead of objects. I notice dozens of shades of green. I explore shadows and the contrast between light and dark. It's like I have a new set of eyes, and it's very, very cool. Painting makes me really look at trees, oceans and grass, and it has deepened this urban girl's interaction with nature. As a writer, when I play with words through new eyes, my writing gets deeper and more lyrical.

I have also found out that in painting I am the Queen of Overworking. Overworking is when you don't let the watercolors do their thing. You try to get it just right by adding and changing and adding and changing until it starts looking like, well, mud.

Watercolors thrive on looseness where you let the water, color and paper play with you, the artist. Too much control, and the painting ceases to be fresh.

Writing is the same thing. We lose our freshness when we overthink an idea. Like watercolors, an overworked idea becomes muddy. Freshness meets a sad demise, and our writing is so less effective.

Master Your Craft. 

A wise woman learns every time she paints. I am getting better. Writing is the same. Excellent writers become masters of their craft. They learn the power of words to create a story that reaches both brain and heart.. And they know that when they don't know, they need to ask for help, practice and experiment. 

As you probably have figured out, the paintings in the photograph are my newest attempts at this frustrating thing called watercolor painting. And it is equally apparent that it is time for me to put away the keyboard, pick up a brush and go practice painting trees.