Posted on 05/01/202305/11/2025 by JohnM

Three Dimensional Watercolor

I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at shadows cast from sunlight onto landscapes. My three-dimensional watercolors allow me to place a light where the sun would be. I can then examine the landscape and the sun’s shadow from mountains in the watercolor. How do I do that? Plaster models of mountains, hills, beaches and tide pools. I’ve learned to create a model from hardened foam and then cover that with pottery plaster.

The pottery plaster is stronger than Plaster of Paris. In fact, I add a hardener to the mix of powdered pottery plaster that makes it “clinker”. I can form, carve, sculpt, texture and smooth the land. I’ve done flat oceans and coastlines with waves. I’ve crafted hills in Jalama Beach in California and mountains in Tucson, Arizona. I also created abstracts to study shadows. A light source can be added to the three-dimensional watercolor painting. This addition gives the effect of a western setting sun, for example.

The lights come with some of the paintings in shadow boxes. The lights are battery operated LED lights with a motion sensor. How cool is that?

The plaster takes the watercolor easily and it sticks nearly permanently. I’ve experimented with water on the plaster and just how much it can stand without degrading. I’ve used a laser level to find “horizontal” on the plaster cast. I’m at the point where I’m happy with the results. Many of the art pieces are for sale on this website https://watercolorwildflowers.com/store/

Dorland's cold wax jar used to seal watercolor on plaster relief model — Topographic relief model of Jalama Beach, California. Rocky cliffs give way to rolling green and red hillsides where ice plant grows in abundance.

large plaster on board abstract relief of desert mountains in a black floating frame. Colors of yellow and red and turquoise change from the warm southern light to cool blue shadows away from the light. — 36″ x 36″ plaster on board abstract relief of desert mountains. Colors of yellow and red morph from the warm southern light. Turquoise transitions to cool blue shadows away from the light.

Posted on 04/05/202305/11/2025 by JohnM

3D Mountain Art: Landscapes Embodied in Plaster and Watercolor

Fresco is an old technique where the pigment is embedded in wet plaster while painting a mural. I have adapted the technique to a more modern application. I use plaster on a foam casting to build natural looking topography for mountains and coastal samples of land as seen from above. The plaster takes the watercolor very well and it becomes a permanent part of the finished painting / sculpture.

The interesting part of a topographic sculpture is that it casts shadow on the painting just as the sun casts shadow on the land. These shadows are incredibly interesting and change as the light moves. It is easy to visualize just how the land looks because of the 3D shape and the lighting on one side and shadow on the other side of mountains and hills. There are even shadows cast from waves as the sea rolls onto the beach!

My background in surveying and civil engineering has given me a passion for seeing land from a terrestrial or aerial perspective. I find that I can experiment with watercolor to capture a genuine look by layering of similar or different colors. The transparency of watercolor looks so vibrant with a background of white paper. Why not do the same with white plaster?

Some of the pieces get heavier than intended, which is why I use a foam core. With proper hanging and framing the piece can be displayed on a wall or set vertically on the floor against the wall. Having the light incorporated into the art is a “sick” idea according to my son.

The lights I use are strong but warm LED lights that have a motion sensor so the light comes on when someone is near the artwork. The light has a USB charged battery in the attractive design. The lights are included with the sale of the painting.

mountainous terrain in three dimensions built from plaster and watercolor

Posted on 03/25/202305/11/2025 by JohnM

Jalama Beach at Sunset

3D sculpture of land at Jalama Beach, California painted in watercolor,

This amazing piece illustrates the coastland at #Jalama Beach in California. The motion sensor LED light is placed to the west of the coastland and casts shadows like the sun. The land is sandy #beaches and rocky #cliffs and rugged hills sporting a colorful red and green Christmas coat. My 3D painting of Jalama land is original, unique and ready for a new home.

3D sculpture of land at Jalama Beach, California painted in watercolor, equipped with motion sensor light on the left side pretending to be the setting sun. — Jalama Beach at Sunset, 36″ x 36″ x 6″ framed shadowbox

intensely lighted plaster relief model of Jalama Beach in as it appeared to the artist during Winter — 30″ x 30″ plaster relief model of Jalama Beach in Southern California. The winter landscape covered in autumn colored ice plant contrasts with the white sand beach and blue ocean washing ashore. Strong topography shows cliffs and rolling land as it appeared to the artist during days of study.

Jalama Beach is in California south of Vandenberg AFB. There are miles and miles of empty land. The video shows light from the left side of the model (west) at a low angle casting shadows on the opposite side of hills, waves, rocks. The model is colored like the land, a green and red scrub from the winter ice plant turning orange. The model was created using topography from Google Earth.