Watercolor Ain't For Sissies

Watercolor was once taught to ladies as part of their cultural training. And although watercolor has been used for centuries in illustrative and fine art it has never had the presence and strength in the world of collectors as oil and acrylic paintings. As a watercolor painter I find this remarkably sad but things are slowly changing in the art world.

Don't go thinking watercolor is a medium for delicacy and lady-like lyrical painting. There have been a number of strong watercolor artists, past and present that blow that theory away.  So many artists have made exceptional use of the watercolor medium that I was hard-pressed to choose which to feature in this blog entry.  I decided to highlight the ones that I feel influence my work and style.

JMW Turner
British romantic painter,  working in the 18th-19th century, he is credited with influencing the Impressionists in France many years later. I always felt he was instrumental in setting watercolors free to stand for themselves.  For more on his personality, rent the very British bio pic, "Mr. Turner."

"Fire at the Grand Storehouse of the Tower of London" Watercolor 1841

John Singer Sargent
Considered a leading portrait painter, in the late19th and early 20th century, Sargent had a way with watercolor that artists continue to study and strive to emulate.  His colors, techniques, his subject matter all work to bring watercolor painting to a new level.  He was, truly, remarkable.

"Corfu Lights and Shadow" 1909

Winslow Homer
Self-taught and producing his first watercolor painting in 1873, his later handling of medium was fairly modern.  He ventured out of his Maine studio and produced some monumental work while in the Caribbean and even visiting the Central Florida area in late 1800's and early 1900's.

"After the Hurricane Bahamas" 1899

Andrew Wyeth
Son of renown illustrator NC Wyeth, Andrew trained under his father from childhood and created strong images of his home landscapes in Pennsylvania and Maine.  This early watercolor was done when he was still in his 20's.

"The Road to Friendship" 1941

Jamie Wyeth
Andrew's son and also a spectacular contemporary artist -- check this video on Vimeo out to see how intense his work is -- on cardboard, no less -- no dainty strokes here.
Inferno

Dean Mitchell
A personal favorite and a constant inspiration as to how watercolor is done best.  Dean was born in the 1950's in a poor area in North Florida, and early on was encouraged by his grandmother to create art.  And create art he does.  And beautifully, often times painting the less than pretty parts of life.

"Debris" 2014