Neon Acrylic + Watercolor Paintings

Sometimes I forget how awesome watercolors are.  After doing the topographic watercolor map series paintings I was amped to do some more painting but wanted to branch out into more abstract and nonsense as per usual.  I was also looking for a project to use some neon acrylic paint I forgot I had.  So far I have finished 3 but only two count since the 3rd was just sort of a warm up mess.  Here's the three framed:

Close-ups of the two on the left:

I was going for abstract figurative and I like this style, I hope to paint more like this in the future.  Here's an in progress photo of the second painting:

I also recently participated in the Sketchbook Project's Pen Pal Painting Exchange where you get a 4" x 4" canvas to paint.  When you're done you mail it back to them along with a little postcard about yourself filled out and they match your painting with another participant's submission, swap the paintings, and send each other's paintings back to your newly matched pen pal.  Here is the painting I submitted:

Here is the wall of all of the mini painting submissions at the Brooklyn Art Library Gallery exhibition.  You can see more photos on the Sketchbook Project's flickr.

In-progress photo of my mini painting:

Close-up of my warm up painting:

And a photo of all 3 in their new happy home above my cutting table!

Hooray!!

Topographic Watercolor Map Series

Lately I've been having an itch to get more into watercolor.  I do a lot of work on the computer or drawing with a pen and I've been missing making work with my hands and felt the need to jump in.  But what to paint?  I've recently been inspired by maps being used as an adventurer's tool.  Before we had our iPhones and GPS, people had to actually look at maps to figure out where to go, crazy right?!?

I wanted to explore imaginary places on maps and I love how topography maps have different colors to represent different elevations of land.  I painted a series of maps that all had a 3D element of looking like they were on actual pieces of paper and used different watercolor shades in each map to show the varying elevations.  I also incorporated some typographical elements to break up the maps.

I played with the idea of taking a trip on these maps and having to follow a path like a treasure map which made me think about adventures on land vs taking a mental journey.  I find myself doing this a lot: wanting to accomplish something and setting out steps to make it happen; it was a fun idea to imagine that as an actual map and a journey that you had to begin.  I've been working on a lot of adventure themed products to release on Mokuyobi Threads in the coming seasons so it all seemed very fitting.

Above is the final wall of all of the maps and painted type with coordinating spray painted frames.  You can buy prints of all of the paintings in various sizes at my Society6 shop.

Now for some work in progress photos...

Some progress photos from my instagram: JuliePinzur follow me!

I love this one with the neon yellow frame.  It totally rocks.

With these paintings up, the new studio is really coming together (we moved).  I love the look of them on the wall but the wall is kind of large so I plan to add to it.  We'll see where it goes...