Kelp Pickles & Creative Blogger Award
September 10, 2007 by Jana Bouc
Watercolor & ink (black & white in label) on Arches hot press in 6 x 8″ sketchbook
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The Pickles
A co-worker who lives in Alaska part of the year brought back delicious treats, all made from seaweed. These crunchy pickles taste like sweet pickles except better–with a touch of the sea in them. I love anything tasting of the sea, including raw oysters. Eating raw oysters is like eating peaches: the texture is the same, the soft bite through, and then the sudden juiciness. They always remind me of my childhood in Southern California where I practically lived in the ocean, tasting that fresh salty flavor every time I dove or got knocked under a big wave.
The Painting
I painted this from life (well, from jar) with a light shining on it. I added a few highlights with Golden Absorbent Ground, a product that also allows you to cover and repaint problem areas in watercolor paintings. It creates an absorbent texture that doesn’t bleed or dissolve and is similar to the original texture of watercolor paper. It’s best to apply in thin layers if you’re using it to cover an area to repaint it so that it dries smooth.
The Creative Blogger Award
Two art bloggers and wonderful artists, Nel Jansen and Bonny Racca, both honored me by nominating me for this award. I wanted to acknowledge their kindness and admit that I’m a naughty Creative Blogger. When one receives the award one is supposed to pass it forward, nominating 5 others, who nominate 5 others, etc. For a number of reasons I’ve chosen to opt out of that part of the process, but do appreciate the nomination very much! I’ve also learned these kinds of “pass it on” awards and questionnaires are called memes and their definition on Wikipedia is quite interesting.
Oh I really like this. The colors look so nice.
FABULOUS wc, Jana!! Love the vibrant colors, too! Congrats on the award too!
Again, your colours are just fabulous! That shadow is yummy and so different to the colour in the jar which is so unusual and yummy too! I must admit I don’t like anything that tastes of the sea so I probably wouldn’t like these!
Wonderful, Jana! This painting makes me hungry for pickles - it’s always been one of my favourite snacks.
Thank you for linking me in your Blog.
I’ll have to check out the medium you mention. I’m going to be taking a water colourclass, so maybe I’ll learn about it there, too.
Great wayof explaining the Blogger award
Very nisce this…I love your play with the warm and cool colours! Like always, quality work.
ronell
I love the vibrant colours here! I like the stunning realism in your work.
A well-deserved award, Jana. Congratulations.
This is beautiful, Jana…Your writing on the label is so fine and perfect…
Your treatment of the shadow is very different from usual - I like it. Your description of eating oysters sends shivers down my spine
kelp pickles, mmmmmmmm……..
delightful,…….mmmmmmmmmmmm.
delicious…..mmmmmmmmm…..
would you like to try the kelp marmalade?
oranges…lemons….and nereocystis lutkeana(bull kelp)
congratualtions…