Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2021 i Watercolor Artist

While working on the article, “Inspiration In Bloom” (page 14), which explores the infinite potential of flowers as a painting subject, I immediately noticed some commonalities between the four featured artists. Even though their stylistic approaches to the subject are quite different, the artists’ comments reveal similar reflections, including a recognition of the power of flowers to evoke memory. While the beauty of the subject is certainly inspiring, it’s notable that flowers can also stir nostalgic recollections of gardens we once knew and trigger an appreciation for the natural growth cycle of the gardens we love and tend today. “ The most fascinating thing about flowers is that they’re universally loved by everyone. ” —SOON Y. WARREN Perhaps the accessibility of flowers is the subject’s most practical asset, but it’s…

London-born William Henry Hunt (1790–1864) was an influential and popular watercolor painter in the first half of the 19th century. The fineness and complexity of his technique, especially his use of body color, and layered and scraped surfaces, presaged the work of the Pre-Raphaelites. Hunt mastered different aspects of watercolor, from loose atmospheric landscape effects to meticulously rendered still life. For his facility with the latter, he came to be known as “Bird’s Nest” Hunt. He was equally proficient as a figure painter, producing a series of rural British genre scenes that chronicled the lives of country folk. The scope of Hunt’s skills was perhaps a deliberate response to his physical limitations. Hunt was born with malformed legs, and since the disability precluded physical work, he chose to study drawing…

Aside from the inspiration provided by the endless variety of colors, shapes and sizes of flowers, I find the contrasts between light and dark fascinating. My interest in painting the subject first began after traveling to Hawaii and seeing the exotic, vibrant flowers there. When my husband and I moved to Maui 10 years ago, I was finally able to devote myself to painting full-time. Living in such beautiful surroundings—and having the time to appreciate it—is something that shows in my paintings, I think. My approach to painting florals has evolved over the years. I make use of an underpainting technique now that establishes all of the shadows first, which I think adds to the illusion of depth and realism. I’ve noticed a move toward greater realism in my work…

Rick Surowicz (rsurowiczart.com), a painter living in Medina, Ohio, discovered how much he enjoyed the challenges of watercolor in 1992. From 1992 to 2000 he exhibited in regional and, later, national shows. After the birth of his first son in 2000, Surowicz took an extended break from painting to focus on his family and career. It wasn’t until January of 2016 that he picked up his brushes again. He has been painting vigorously ever since. Surowicz is a Signature Member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and was recently elected to one of the trustee positions. Recently, his paintings have juried into several national and international exhibitions. A selection of his watercolors also appeared in Splash 21. The artist’s YouTube Channel, “Rick Surowicz Watercolor,” was selected by Feedspot.com as one of the…

Photographer Lewis Hine (1874–1940) gained recognition for his photos of American children at work before child labor laws went into effect in the U.S. He quit his job as a New York City schoolteacher to join the National Child Labor Committee, which formed in 1904 to investigate the harsh working conditions children endured at the time in a number of industries. From 1908 to 1924, Hine took more than 5,000 photos documenting abusive practices, which played a large role in the development of new laws passed shortly before his death. His photos are currently viewable and downloadable online through the Library of Congress website (loc.gov). Unfortunately, little was recorded about the child workers Hine had photographed, and their lives seemed destined to fall into oblivion. Then, in 2005, historian Joe…

“I was always the doodler, the drawer,” says Michael Holter, “the one in my class who was called on to create something for a poster.” Some might say art was Holter’s destiny because, despite having no school art program in his small North Dakota town and coming from a family that had little enthusiasm for the subject, he turned this doodling into a lifelong career. Holter has studied architecture and graphic design, taught high school art, worked in commercial art and operated gallery spaces. Since 2011, he has been building his reputation as a painter and workshop instructor in watercolor and oil. “I like to see something in my paintings that has a sense of a place,” he says, “and then I can let the rest of the painting…

Step 1 In my sketchbook, I first lightly drew the shape of the juniper with watercolor pencil. I chose a blue pencil because it would add a nice temperature contrast to the warm colors I planned to use when painting. The brown speckles are from an overly aggressive treatment of a sketch on the opposite page. I didn’t mind them because I knew they’d add interest to the final sketch. Step 2 I like to block in tree shadows first because, in the canyon, the light seems to move especially fast. I used a gray wash for this. Step 3 I started applying transparent color, thinning the gouache enough so it acted more like watercolor. I used a darker, thicker wash mixture of black and brown to draw the lines…

Step 1 I drew the contour sketch and then completed the value studies, breaking the shapes down into simple forms. I designed an obvious “S” curve to help pull the viewer into the painting. Then I wet the back and front of the paper, clipped it to my board and placed the value sketch on my easel. I decided on a color triad of quinacridone gold, napthol red and ultramarine blue. Step 2 I painted the paper with a bold, warm underwash of quinacridone gold and napthol red. While the paper was still wet, I brushed in ultramarine blue, diluted to the consistency of tea. I kept the first wash in low to middle values. Step 3 I misted the paper to keep it damp and painted in the middle…

When artist Xi Guo (xiguowatercolor.com) discovered a bundle of fading roses in a garbage can, she turned the discovery into an opportunity for painting. “Decaying flowers are still beautiful,” she says. “The fading color often adds even more elegance.” After making a pencil sketch, Guo applied masking fluid to preserve the highlights. After painting, she removed the mask and then used a water brush to soften edges. She worked quickly to capture the rose’s fleeting beauty. “The secret to painting fast,” she says, “is to get the right value and tone with the first try—to paint intuitively, as if the brush were an extension of your hand.” YOUR TURN! Share a sketch that depicts the beauty of a fading flower or bouquet: @ArtistsNetwork on Instagram: #openbook_seeingbeauty…

The painting Will the Mill Worker presents 15-year-old South Carolinian Will Morrill in 1908. He had worked in a textile mill for five years. “The striking part for me is that, despite his age, he looks like an old man,” Eber says. “He seems to have a weary expression, and his hands are all knobby from the work.” Eber changed the backdrop, pointing out that he likes to incorporate lost-and-found edges between the subjects and their backgrounds. He says this supports his assertion that everything in life is connected and without true separation. It’s also a visual way of acknowledging that these child laborers are no longer alive. “We’re looking at ‘spirits’ from a different time,” he says.…

Alleman rarely creates studies or sketches in preparation for painting, although he’ll work on compositional problems with pencil or even a ball point pen on scrap paper. These problem-solving experiments, he says, are very rough and really not worth noting. Still, they’re the foundation of what comes next. Unlike many landscape painters, who often paint in a horizontal format to evoke the sense of a broad vista, Alleman enjoys squares. For him, a 5x5 surface—one of his most common sizes—is a simple solution to several problems. “It’s like a study, but it can be considered a finished piece both in terms of the painting and framing. It’s a format that’s easy to ship and more accessible in terms of price. Plus, it makes good use of material and framing that…

The thing I love most about plein air painting is that each excursion leads to a different adventure. I’m capturing a moment in time that can never be repeated. While every location has its own allure, no other painting subject gets me quite as excited as a flower garden bathed in light. Landscapes contain so many little details to paint—I often have to restrain myself from plunging right in. Some planning is always necessary before placing paint on paper. Although spontaneity is critical for a successful plein air painting, I’ve found that a bit of organization helps me to interpret outdoor scenes more successfully. ORGANIZE YOUR SUPPLIES It takes time to determine what supplies work best in the field. Over the years, I’ve pared down more and more. I carry…

Claude Monet, whose beautiful grounds at Giverny provided the Impressionist giant with creative nourishment right up to his death in 1926, once said: “I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.” In this, Monet is certainly not alone. Flowers have served as a dependable muse to countless artists over the centuries, and—given all that attention—a contemporary painter might start to wonder whether there could be anything left to say on the subject. A quick bit of research offers abundant evidence, however, that flowers continue to inspire unique, complex and personal expression from artists all over the world. We asked four artists who are well-known for their floral paintings what it is about blooms and blossoms that captivate and excite their creative imagination. Their insights inspire new enthusiasm for the…

Based in Central California, Frank Eber is an artist who works in both watercolor and oils. Originally from Germany, he grew up outside Nuremberg and moved to the U.S. in 1994. He’s best known for his landscapes and his city and seaside scenes, but is expanding his body of work to include evocative portraits that speak with broader implications to the situations of his subjects. Eber teaches watercolor workshops and offers one-on-one mentoring online. To see more of his paintings and learn more about the artist, visit frankeber.com.…

Joseph Alleman (josephalleman. com) began painting at age 15 under Utah artist Harold Petersen. Born in 1975 in San Francisco, Calif., Alleman grew up in Salt Lake City, and graduated with a B.A. in fine art from Utah State University. He enjoys working in a variety of media. Many of his painting subjects can be found in Northern Utah’s Cache Valley where he currently resides with his family. Alleman is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society, and he has received numerous honors and awards locally and nationally. His work has been featured in American Art Collector, Artists Magazine, Art of the West and Southwest Art magazine. He currently exhibits with Mockingbird Gallery in Bend, Oregon, in addition to galleries in Arizona, Utah and…