HOT STEEL DESIGN
SUZANNE STEEL • CREATRIX OF VISUAL MAGIC
Suzanne Steel Art
Magical Mysterious Watercolor
Greetings, Art fans.
I am delighted and excited to share with you my journey as a new watercolor painter. In October of 2019, I found myself at a new and promising juncture in my life, with new possibilities opening up. I decided at that time to embrace one of my lifelong yearnings, and that is to learn to paint in watercolor. Watercolor has always held a special place in my heart, as the first medium that informed me, at the tender age of 15, that I might have promise as a visual artist. It is a medium of great magic and mystery and one that i have always wished i could pursue, but never had, until now.
On this page, I will post my paintings, continually updating with the most recent first, going backwards in time, to my first attempts at this delicious medium.....so elusive and charming....so challenging and frustrating. Working through the self-doubt and fear of the paper...to push through to actually put pigment on the paper...unwraps a whole world of discovery, wonder and joy.
August thru December 2020
From one of my best trips to one of my favorite places, the Oregon Coast. The Astoria Waterfront. 7.5x11" on Fabriano Cold Press Paper. $125
These adorable heifers totally charmed me on a visit to an organic farm on Salt Spring Island, BC. Watercolor and charcoal pencil on Cold Press Paper. 7.5 x11" $150
Titled by and from a lesson by Sterling Edwards.
11x15" on Arches Rough Paper. $175
Learning to draw and paint in two point perspective...local spot I shot a few summers ago. 11x15" on Arches Rough paper. $175
After a tutorial by Karen Rice. Made several paintings of this for Christmas cards. 5x7" on Cold Press Paper.
Watercolor and ink on Cold Press Paper. 5.5 x 7.5" SOLD
11x15 on Cold Press Paper $175
7.5x11" on Rough Paper based on lesson by the "Mind of Watercolor".
11x15 on Rough Paper $175 Based on lesson from Gary Tucker
11x15" on Cold Press paper. $175 Done in a virtual workshop with favorite teacher, Gary Tucker.
One of a series of studies on granulating pigment.
One of a series of studies on granulating pigment.
7.5x11" on Rough Paper $100 Old Salmon Cannery buildings from an era goneby. Semiahmoo is near and dear to my heart and home.
11x15 on Rough Paper $200
11x15 on Rough Paper $175 My first attempt at this scene. Shot in Alaska appoaching the old town of Butedale. I'm aboard the "Home Shore" a purse seiner that fishes for salmon in Alaska. Skipper Jim Kyle has fished there over 40 years and knows the area really well. He converted the boat into a mothership Kayak Charter Adventure vessel and I was his graphic designer and one of the photographers taking care of his marketing. Fantastic adventures all over Southeast Alaska.
May, June, July 2020
11x15" on Rough watercolor Paper $175 On the Oregon Coast.
11x15" on rough paper. $175 Working on technique, of course. Lots of mistakes....need more practice, practice, practice. But the feeling is there....soft misty moments in autumn at the Stone Bridge in the Rockefeller Preserve, NY.
7.5x11" on Fabriano Rough Paper $100 More practicing loose and free techniques.
10x10" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $100 This is my second attempt at the Stone Bridge in the Rockefeller Preserve in Pleasantville, NY. Different techniques for foliage and grassy bank and dark reflections.
10x10" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $100 A quick study in abstraction....playing around with fun techniques and interacting with the medium. Wonderful discoveries of spontaneity and freedom with paint and water.
11x15" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $175 This painting was done from a photo on their website.....the Pocantico River. I struggled for a week, doing value studies, rough color studies and different versions of the scene. I'm still not thrilled here....this feels a bit overworked and heavy handed....nonetheless I've learned a lot in the process and am happy with the result. Will do again soon with the intention of developing a much looser and freer way of applying paint.
This is the third time i painted this lesson from John Lovett....my most admired watercolorist....and most fun teacher. This is a video lesson available on his website. I love the way this turned out.....after all this practice, i feel i'm finally getting muscle memory as to how to control water and strokes. See attempt #2 in previous gallery.
11x15" on Rough watercolor Paper $175 Another lesson painted during a workshop by master watercolorist Gary Tucker.
11x15" on Rough watercolor Paper $175 Painted as a part of a workshop with Gary Tucker, a gifted teacher.
January to April 2020: 2nd 3 months painting
11x15" on Rough watercolor Paper $175 Painted as a part of a workshop with Gary Tucker, a gifted teacher.
11x15" Another wonderful lesson from John Lovett
9x12" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $125 A loose interpretation of the beach in front of my home.
7.5x11" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $100 From a photo I took on a visit to Puerto Vallarta. Working on improving my ability to evoke mystery in the aging, deteriorating wall
11x15" Lesson from John Lovett. I didn't have the right colors or the right paper, but did my best. The blues are way too heavy so will do this fun lesson again. But i am happy with the loose marks I practiced for the boats, as well as the fine rigger lines for masts and lines. Also I like the movement in the water.
11x15" Lesson from Karen Rice. I was working on reflections and using unconventional tools, like sticks, cut up credit cards, etc to make marks.
11x15" Lesson from John Lovett. An important lesson for me I will do again and again to keep improving at painting loose.
7.5x11" From a lesson by Karen Rice
11x15" From an old photo I took when I lived upriver in Marblemount, Washington.
October to December 2019: 1st 3 months painting
11x15" Basically an attempt to copy a painting by John Lovett....trying to learn technique and see if i could achieve certain effects.
11x15" on Cold Press Watercolor paper. $175 Warm Beach near Stanwood, Washington. One of the first paintings I did. From one of my own photos of a beautiful remote beach. Technique is mostly dry on dry. I find this easy to do...but not really how I want to paint. I'm most interested in learning to work with more wet techniques....where all the magic of watercolor happens.
7.5x11" A lesson from John Lovett. I'm happy with some of the loose effects in the corners, but can now do better with the bricks. See the Puerto Vallarta image in the other slide show.
7.5x11" Lesson from John Lovett
7.5x11" Lesson from John Lovett. Sorry for the glass reflections....will take out of the frame and reshoot soon.
7.5x11" on coldpress Watercolor paper $100 An early study piece....I did several attempts at birch scenes in winter, practicing palette knife technique.
7.5x11" on cold press Watercolor Paper. $100 One of the first paintings I did. Working wet in wet....trying to be very loose and free....after seeing the paint start looking like a reflection, I placed the shoreline. I like how evocative this is and how the paint made it's own statement.
7.5x11" on Cold Press Watercolor paper. $100 Just playing with different techniques at the very beginning.