Aquarelle - "Purple Rose for Tita Vi"

I haven't talked to my mentor, Tita Vivian since she left New York for Las Vegas several months ago. But When Troy asked if we have something to give her since Jan and him (artists of anytime coffee combo. check them out!) might see her in their business trip to Vegas, I decided to paint this rose for her.


I used M. Graham's Dioxazine purple to paint this rose. However, I'm still not good in painting backgrounds. I have to cut the rose from its original paper since I really messed up the background. Then, I have to let my mom paint the vague background in this painting after I pasted the rose and wrote the verse at the bottom left.


I guess I'm also having a hard time with my paper since I am using a 90 lb strathmore paper and I don't stretch it. I'm planning to buy either a new pad (300 lb paper) or a watercolor block. I'm still researching for a better paper to use that doesn't need stretching.


Despite my frustrations, I discovered how to paint a frame like this using scotch tape and salt. I learned it when I did a draft for our Agape poster.