Lori Dreyer Spendiff: The Magic of the Medium

This week's blog post is written by Lori Dreyer Spendiff. Although new to the studio tour, Lori is not new to the making of art. She is a highly skilled watercolourist and beloved fine art educator. 

Orange Dream

Drop Aureolin (yellow) onto wet watercolour paper and watch it spread.  Add a puddle of Permanent Rose and then watch the two colours mingle to make orange.  Repeat with Prussian Blue.  Tilt the paper, letting gravity do its job, and you’ll see purple, green and grey appear in the mix.  It doesn’t matter how often I demonstrate this basic watercolour technique, it never fails to impress me. I love the process and challenge of watercolour.  The endless variations and possibilities are a constant source of inspiration.

Primary Colour Blend

I enjoy working in the traditional watercolour method.  Layers of transparent washes are built up to create intense colour, deep shadows, and inviting textures.  As the only white I use is the white of the paper, the challenge is to build the layers without losing the lights.  Once you lose them, they’re gone.  And too many layers of even the most transparent paint can become muddy, especially in the dark areas and shadows.  Put down the brush and walk away!

Jet Eye

Creating texture can be difficult, but fun, even when it backfires.  Watercolourists are the original faux-finishers, and we use all kinds of items and tools (salt, plastic wrap, sponges, just to name a few) to disturb the paint while it dries, or to apply paint on a dry background.  Many of my texturing experiments have inspired future pieces – I love the results, which are sometimes not what I expected, and look for a way to work them into a painting.

Fall Colour

Translating the images in my mind onto paper is not always easy.  Watercolour can be unforgiving.  There is nowhere to hide, no cover-up, and no turning back.  But it is also exciting – those first few washes are filled with so much possibility.  I never know exactly how the pigment will settle into the pores of the paper until it has dried completely.  Many of my paintings are never finished, but I find the process so satisfying that I am inspired to try again.  And again.  When all the elements do come together, and the painting works – it’s magic!

Fort Myers Pier

I am honoured to be a part of this year’s Richmond Hill Studio Tour.  Drop in and see my work at the Boynton House during the tour, on October 15 & 16, 2016.  For information on my classes and workshops, please visit my website or my Facebook page.