Sunset and Birch Trees

Artist Statement: My artwork combines watercolor painting and pen and ink drawing. I began by putting masking tape on watercolor paper in the shape of trees. Then I used yellow watercolor paint to create the appearance of a sunset. I later added orange and red. Next, I removed the tape to reveal the unpainted tree shapes. Lastly, I outlined the shapes to make trees and added details with a black permanent marker. I was inspired by the natural landscape and sky as well as the artwork of Alaskan painter Kes Woodward. My goal while making this artwork was to get better at drawing birch trees, and I think I improved with practice. I learned how to add details to create the appearance of the tree bark, and I learned the method of watercolor resist by using masking tape. If I were to do this again, I would add more to the background and make slight changes to the trees to make each one more unique.