SEA SERIES IIBig Girls Just Wanna Have Fun  22"x10" watercolor on gesso surface ©Kate Jackson 2006

I loved creating the textured backdrop for these "big girls".  I covered the surface of my watercolor paper with white gesso, added textures and patterns with all kinds of fun bits and pieces of things I've collected and then painted on my sea series palette of colors.  Eventually the "girls" appeared and I began playing with them...having lots of fun putting paint on, taking it off, adding the splashing effect with a wet brush and recreating their shapes over and over (the gesso allows me to rework the surface back to white).  By the way, I recently visited my old hometown, Santa Barbara and the water at sunset looked just like this color!