Remembering Her Beloved

A former watercolor student reached out to me last fall with a special request. Her beloved husband had passed away and she wanted me to create a watercolor painting in remembrance of him.

She explained they had made their home in the Hill Country of Texas and she wanted me to paint something that reminded her of that beautiful part of Texas they both loved. Based on photos she sent me from their back yard and other Hill Country scenes, along with reference photos in my own photo files from a time I spoke to a women’s group in Wimberly, TX years ago, I got to work.

Step one was to make a simple thumbnail sketch to be sure we were on the same page.

Here’s the thumbnail drawing I sent for her approval.

Once the sketch was approved, I got to work on the 11x14 watercolor. Per her request, I used a lot of blues and greens she loves to paint a pastoral scene reminiscent of a Hill Country landscape.

When it was finished, I sent her a photo of the painting. There was one tree she didn’t particularly like, but I was able to make adjustments to get it to a place where she liked it. I appreciated both the open communication of making the details of the painting “just right” for her and also the challenge of making a correction in watercolor.

Watercolor is no where near as forgiving as other opaque art mediums (think acrylics and oils), but it IS possible to make adjustments. I was pleased with the change in the troublesome tree and was soooo happy my client liked it as well! :-)

She asked me to write “Psalm 1:3” on the painting, Here’s the context found in Psalm 1:1-3. . .

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—  whatever they do prospers.

My hope is that this special painting will bring my client sweet memories of her beloved husband as she looks at this beautiful, peaceful place, framed and hanging on display in her home.