It is all about the texture. It is the texture in an object or scene that entices me. Creating a piece of art gives me the opportunity to spend more time with it, really getting to know the details.
One beautiful afternoon in the fall, after a day of painting with our Artists Workshop group I walked downtown and the light shining under the Broadway bridge was one of those moments to be thankful for.
My watercolour batik process is ideal for creating the illusion of texture and I am always excited to find new ways of expressing what I see. I work with wax and watercolour on paper building up layers as I go. I can only work from light to dark so the wax is used to preserve the colour that currently exists and more paint is applied to make it darker. This layering process culminates in the darkest colours being added. At that point I use layers of newspaper to iron the wax off the piece and I can finally see the finished piece.
Light Under Broadway 20 x 10” Watercolour Batik ©Paige Mortensen
Changing 18 x 24” Watercolour Batik ©Paige Mortensen
Artists' Workshop Saskatoon 