JILL WATERMAN, PhD
When I retired from the UCLA Psychology Department in Summer 2013 after 32 years, I began thinking about painting. I’d always been interested in art but never pursued anything while I was a busy professor and mom of twins. Pre-pandemic, I took watercolor painting lessons, and have found it to be a wonderful creative outlet, tension reducer, and way to explore a looser, freer way of being. In contrast to writing a professional paper or giving an academic lecture which is planned and rigorous, watercolor paints flow into each other, creating unexpected and interesting effects over which the artist has only partial control. As I am continuing to supervise students and see a few clients, I feel that I have become more intuitive, reflective and affectively attuned in my work as a result of painting. I also more frequently use art in my therapeutic interventions with children, which I find engages them as well as helps them access their emotions in a deeper way. I only wish I had started sooner to bring this wonderful creative endeavor into my life. Painting informally the last 2 years and taking an online class helped me better deal with the isolation of COVID. It is now so lovely to again paint in person with teachers and classmates who I care about, respect and value.
Joy is Bursting Out All Over
(Watercolor, 12" X 16")
In this painting, I used wet-in-wet techniques to let colors flow together softly, and then used white and black pens to emphasize shapes, make patterns and contrast with the blurred edges of the watercolor. This painting expresses the joy and freedom I feel about the worst of the pandemic being over. The bright colors, flower blooms and fun designs are symbols for me of seeing friends, eating out at restaurants, traveling, reinvigorating interests and relationships, playing with my young grandchildren, seeing colleagues in person, and feeling fear and anxiety lift somewhat. There is much to be worried about in our world but also it's important to be grateful for our renewed connections, ability to create art, and the natural beauty we see.