Work in Progress: Pretty in Pink

I have been working on a new piece this week inspired by my daily walks on the verdant grounds of the Marriott Ocean Club on Maui. We traveled to Hawaii in May, returning for the first time since we moved back to Florida seven years ago, and it felt like we never left. One of my favorite tropical plants is the Ti plant, a showy specimen that grows in any temperate climate, but seems to be everywhere in Hawaii. The vividly colored leaves silhouetted against the clear blue sky always make me smile. I read an interesting article in the airline magazine about the many uses of this plant. It is used to make ropes, hats, shelter, and medicine. Hawaiians utilize the Ti plant in their spiritual practice as well.

"Pretty in Pink" (36" x 24" watercolor on Aquabord) - in progress, day 2

This new painting is on Aquabord, a clay coated surface made by Ampersand Art Supply in Austin, Texas. I started using Aquabord several years ago when I was introduced to it by Karen Vernon, a fantastic painter from Texas. I really got into it once we lived in Kauai, where a lack of air conditioning meant that my Arches paper never really dried due to the humidity. I love it because it acts like watercolor paper (most of the time) can take repeated washes and lifting of color, and be sealed and displayed without glazing. That is the very best part!