September paintings

I made two paintings today — one done with my student during our painting lessons (but I painted it on sketch paper so the outcome wasn’t very good — poor water absorption), and the other is a rushed watercolor painting for my grandmother’s birthday, this time done on watercolor paper (and is quite messy. I am really out of practice). The little birthday message was written with a Speedball calligraphy pen (or dip pen, I think it’s called), which I recently received from a colleague who had left the country. I thoroughly enjoyed the use of it and felt momentarily like Jane Austen writing her masterpieces as I dipped my pen in blue India Ink. Such fun!

Both paintings were rendered with Prang watercolors, which I really love. I’ve been using it since college (because Gumbracher, W&N, Academy paints, etc. were all freakin’ way out of my budget), and I love how it is in a pan and not in a tube, which makes it a good travel watercolor set. But if I ever had my way (or cash, rather), I’d love to have a Winsor&Newton’s watercolor travel set.