"Making the Most of an Emergency"

One of the artist blogs I follow is James Gurney.  He recently reviewed a new book of John Singer Sargent watercolors.  If you're at all interested in art/artists or more specifically watercolor painting, do check it out.  It's on my wish list.  Mr. Gurney includes this quote from the book:

Sargent used every trick in the book in his watercolors: glazing, wax resist, gouache, impasto, lifting off, scraping, drybrush, and ox gall. As he worked, he muttered "Demons, demons," and he famously described painting in watercolor as "making the most of an emergency."

Isn't that fabulous!?!  It's so completely and utterly fitting as I finish up the watercolor journaling class with Jane LaFazio.  Though I still struggle some with the looseness and imperfection of the genre, my comfort level with this medium has increased tremendously.  The watercolor sketchbook is half full - plenty of blank pages for bravery.  I plan to continue watercolor journal style.  However, maybe at some point, just sorta' maybe, I'll give a go at the detail of Sargent's beautiful emergencies.