Thinking (and Playing) with Watercolor

With GUT Guest Artist Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Helloo my fine GUT friends.

I loved seeing everyone’s growth and curiosity drawings in the GUT Chat last week! Y’all were so brave in opening up about your curiousities, and how pursuing them can be scary. I was so impressed to see how fellow members jumped in with encouragement and affirmation! It’s an honor to change and grow with all of you.

Did Merian’s gorgeous botanical illustrations in last week’s GUT make you more curious about watercolors? Is experimenting with mediums part of your curiosity/growth year ahead? If so, you are in luck. This week we have a watercolor-centric guest artist, some tips and tricks, and a book giveaway for members. Let’s dive in.

This was the GUT’s very first drawing assignment back in 2022, and the first drawing I made with you all, inspired by Ross Gay’s book of delights.

Thinking (and Playing) with Watercolor

Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums. Its fluid, permanent, fast-drying nature forces me to work fast, get loose, embrace mistakes and trust my gut — the perfect set of constraints for a recovering perfectionist. I also love the translucency of watercolor, how light penetrates the paint, hits the white paper below, and reflects back into the eye. Watercolor glows.

But I also get that it can be intimidating. Painting with watercolor “the right way” is challenging. Have you ever tried to wrangle water?? Exactly.

My hot tip: Don’t do it (or anything for that matter) “the right way.” Do whatever way works for you. Case in point: I don’t paint with watercolors. I mean, technically I do. But I think it’s more accurate to say I draw with watercolor. I play with the medium in a way that works for me, and stay open to trying new techniques. Last year we did a LIVE Watercolor intro for members. We had a blast, and I look forward to more live videos with members this year. But today I have a special treat for you…

We have a special GUT visiting artist this week: Jessie Kanelos Weiner.

Jessie’s new book, Thinking in Watercolor: A Daily Practice to Unlock Your Creativity and Discover Your Inner Artist came out just a few weeks ago, and she’s going to share some tips and one of her favorite watercolor exercises with us.

GUT Guest Artist: Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Jessie’s new book, Thinking in Watercolor

You may have seen Jessie’s work in places like The New Yorker, Vogue, and The New York Times. She has co-authored New York in Stride and Paris in Stride and is the author of Edible Paradise: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables. She teaches watercolor and drawing workshops in Paris, and is a fellow GUT member!

Everyone say hello to fellow GUT member & artist/author Jessie Kanelos Weiner

In the introduction to Jessie’s new book, she talks about watercolor as “an act of the present, … a tool I’ve used for more than fifteen years to understand my surroundings, spread joy across the world, and heal.” That’s some serious GUT vibes. Her approach to letting go of how the final watercolor will turn out is much like our call to focus on process over outcome, and to embrace “good enough.” A lot of her book reminds me of DrawTogether, in fact. It’s a joy to give her the spotlight.

Alright, without further ado…

A few questions for Jessie!

Wendy: How did you develop an interest in watercolor as a medium?

Jessie: I bought my first set of Winsor & Newton watercolors when I was working as an au pair in Paris, circa 2008. I studied theatre and studio art in college and wanted a portable medium to play around with while living out of a suitcase. I loved how fluid the colors were and it really confronted me to be in the present. 

Wendy: What and who are your influences?  

An homage to an iconic Chicago hotdog stand poster which has always had me transfixed.

Jessie: I grew up in inner-city Chicago and have always been a student of the collections of the Art Institute: Hopper, O’Keefe, and Seurat. These days, I’m naturally more drawn to female-identified painters. I loved an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou called “Elles font l'abstraction” which retold the story of the abstraction movement but with the totally radical choice of showing all female artists who were either hidden or lesser-known.

I love the Mark Rothko quote something along the lines of “ I don’t paint color, I paint light.” I’m a life-long colorist and am always in awe of how the changing light in Paris can change the colors dramatically.  

Wendy: What are the pros and cons of watercolor as a medium?

Jessie: I love the vibrant colors and how you can do so much with so little. It’s about navigating the choreography between the water, the right paper, the right amount of coffee you’ve consumed, the pigment and the pressure added to the brush. 

When people start a new artistic practice, they often think that perfection and photo-realism are the goals, but watercolor automatically takes you toward abstraction because it’s not as controlled as oil or acrylic paint.  

Watercolor doesn’t have the best reputation. But I’ve always seen how under-rated it is and I see infinite potential. Everyone asks if I paint with anything else. And to be honest, no. I plan to continue painting in watercolor and pushing the limits of what it can be.  And I’ve been able to convince just about anyone to like it when they are using decent materials and know a few techniques.

Wendy: What do you do when a watercolor goes off the rails? For example, when your colors start to get muddy or the paper begins to buckle?

Jessie: This was very important information to share in Thinking in Watercolor. Watercolor hygiene (sorry haven’t found another term yet) is key. If your paints, brush, palette and water are all in a muddy, no-go zone, your watercolor painting is most definitely going in that direction, too. Keep it clean. Rinse, rinse, rinse your brush often. Change your water regularly. If it looks like a cup of coffee, you’ve taken it way too far. And if you make a terrible mistake, dab it up immediately with a paper towel. And if it’s lost, it’s a part of the process. Find one thing you think is successful about what you’ve done and keep that in mind the next time around. Or cut it up and collage the elements to make something completely new. If you’re using too much water, paint with a smaller brush. If your paper is buckling, buy a sturdier watercolor paper.  

Wendy: Is there anything you’re curious about that you’d like to work on and grow into this year?

I bought a giant roll of watercolor paper and have been painting in fresco format. My work is usually limited to A4 format, but this has been a liberating way to paint with my whole body. Because I’ve never worked so big, I’ve had to find ways to creatively adapt my watercolor supplies for this new giant format. I’ve also started sculpting my watercolors to make mini imaginary worlds and Marie-Antoinette-worthy Trompe-l'œil paper feasts. And through the process of writing Thinking in Watercolor, I started performing standup comedy. And I’m a mom so once again I am humbled by the amount of hours in the day. But I don’t get inspired, I stay inspired. 

Wendy: Thank you, Jessie!

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Our assignment today comes from Jessie’s book, Thinking in Watercolor. We are also giving away one of Jessie’s book to a GUT member in this week’s GUT art share/chat, so grab your paints (or pencils if you are watercolor adverse/don’t have supplies on hand) and start your layering engine.

I leave the rest to Jessie.

Assignment: Layering & Transparency