New Watercolour Paintings
I’m an interdisciplinary artist - I do a lot! I like to experiment with sculpture, play with design, and log some time in on the printing press now and then... and I love to paint and draw. But when it comes to commissions, more than any other request I receive is for watercolours. And I almost always say Yes!
Ask an artist, and many will profess fear for watercolour painting. It’s hard. I’ve been painting with the medium for well over 20 years, but every time I sit down to do a new project I have to re-teach myself how it works. “What’s the deal with white again?” and “So I have to have everything pre-planned and drawn out before I even dip into my palette?” Watercolour’s strict and specific rules of engagement don’t seem all that creative sometimes, but there are also so many reasons why it has stood the test of art history as one of the most loved, revered and collectable artforms.
All you need is water.
You can even take it to the beach!
For one, it’s portable and easy to transport, both for the artist and the collector. En plein air watercolour painting is easy and practical due to the minimal supply list and fast dry time. And the cost of shipping a finished piece to its new home is negligable in comparison to its, perhaps, fancier oil-painted cousin. Watercolour also truly shows the skills of the artist, especially within figurative art. There are fundamental rules to follow when using the medium. You cannot go back when a sacred white bit has been muddied. The watercolouring process is methodical and relies on strong draftsmanship skills that are exercised, necessarily, at the beginning. However, once those structural shapes and forms have found their place, watercolour flows and shines in the beautiful happy-accidenty patterns and motifs we all love about it. Due to the high pigmentation of the paint, watercolour uses water as its carrier vehicle to pool, gather and spread into organic formations that are impossible to create with other mediums. It’s just what it does.
I’m happily based in the Shuswap but make my way down to Vancouver often. Please get in touch when you’re ready to invest in a special gift or custom portrait of your house, dog, secret place or whatever you choose.
