Chasing the Rush

I paint watercolors for the same reason a surfer surfs: the experience is a rush.

Painting in other mediums, such as oil and acrylic, are akin to swimming: stroke after stroke after stroke. Watercolor is like surfing: the movements are fluid and sweeping; the water does much of the work.

The sopping-wet paintbrush glides across the paper like a surfboard across a wave. You must go with the water, surrender to it, allow it to mix the pigments. The colors change in unpredictable ways as the water spreads and evaporates - an energy that can be seen and felt when it dries.

There is a surfing-like rhythm to doing it. When you apply watercolor to paper (called a “wash”) you work quickly by instinct, adjusting the colors and refining the shapes until the water crests and begins to evaporate. This is followed by a period of stillness and study, where you allow the colors to settle, and position yourself for the next wash.

Control is an illusion. Unlike oil painting, there is no covering up errors, no do-overs. Once embraced, this reality is liberating. If you can let go of fixed outcomes and allow for spontaneity, the painting experience is transformed. Water, pigment, paper and gravity take the lead and you become more of a guide to the experience instead of a master. It feels good to paint this way. In a state of flow, the ego dissolves. You have more fun, and the finished painting looks better.

The gear is minimal – fits in a small camera bag. All you need are a small palette of watercolors, a few brushes, paper, a fold-up easel, a pencil, a rag and canteen of water. That’s it. With this gear and my passport, I can explore the world as my studio.