Using watercolor to wash away the wretched woes

By Jan Gutowski, Creativity Coach
February 9, 2021

Oh boy, did I ever need some creative therapy time this week! Isn’t it funny how we can be feeling all about it one week, and then dive in head-first into a low-vibe sewage trench the next? I guess being able to identify our individual triggers is the key to successfully steering clear of these “stresspools”; but too often we allow the yucky stuff in, and before we know it, we are neck-deep in it. So, when it happened to me this week, I took a few steps back, took a eucalyptus and spearmint salt bath, poured a glass of wine, and then decided to start building a relationship with watercolor… a medium which is typically not my comfortable go-to. The subject? Field mice. Not sure why, but it seemed like a good idea.

Some of my favorite children’s book illustrations feature tiny worlds, like hobbit houses or underground burrows. They have always conveyed a sense of comfort and coziness to me as a child. As an adult, I find them just incredibly magical – scenes which stoke the imagination to wonder what lies beneath our feet and behind our walls. One of my all-time favorite books as a kid was Harvey’s Hideout, by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban.

So about the watercolor… I used Reeves Water Colour – very inexpensive, but works well! Watercolor does require a lot more control than what I am accustomed to with acrylics, but it also provides a nice way to blend colors with beautiful gradients. Here are my two creative “workouts” using watercolor and chubby field mice:

This was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to getting more and more comfortable with this medium. It’s amazing how much doing something creative brings your mind back to a place of feeling completely grounded and comfortable. Aaaahh!

Hope you have a great week!

-jg