Topcities View View

CHECK OUT THE YEAR’S TOP AWARD-WINNING PAINTINGS
FORM(AT)
TopCities & FUNCTION
Tips for Choosing
With A
View
a Painting Surface
p. 12
Paint in ORDER IN
New York, THE STUDIO
Paris, Rome 12 Artists Share
Their Best Tips
& Beyond For Studio
Organization
p. 22
US $7.99
CAN $10.99
02
Alvaro Castagnet’s
watercolors capture
the vibrancy of the city. 7 25274 02499 5
Important Pointers for p. 28 Display until February 12, 2018
PAINTING WINTRY SCENES F E B R UA RY 2 018

watercolorartistmagazine.com
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February 2018
features
28
Painting With Passion
and Savvy
Alvaro Castagnet’s light-filled
paintings, grounded in his
attention to technique, also rely
on feeling and intuition.
BY JOHN A. PARKS
38
Smooth Sailing
Although a passion for sailing
28 and the water inspires much of
Judy Saltzman’s painting, her
subject matter is remarkably diverse.
BY AMY LEIBROCK
48
A Memory of Place
With an eye to the light, Igor Sava
captures the mood and character
of the great cities of the world.
BY ANNE HEVENER
38 48 58
The Year’s Best Paintings
Discover the stories behind select
paintings, along with juror insights,
in this celebration of society show-
stoppers from the past year.
BY MCKENZIE GR AHAM
58
Watercolor Artist | February 2018 1
February 2018
columns
4 Editor’s Note
6 Featured Artists
8 Making a Splash
12 Creativity Workshop 8
Which should come first?
The subject or format?
BY JEAN GR ASTORF
18 Meet the Masters

An early Winslow Homer watercolor
foretells the making of a master.
BY TAMER A LENZ MUENTE
22 Studio Staples
Twelve top professionals share best on the cover
practices for order in the studio.
BY ANNE HEVENER Top Award Winners 58
A City View 28 and 48
77 Watercolor Essentials
Even when painting a snowy Order in the Studio 22
landscape covered in white, you
still have your choice of palettes.
22 Paint Wintry Scenes 77
Form(at) & Function 12
BY GEOFF KERSEY
The Power of Play 18
88 Picture This Prague (watercolor on paper, 30x22)
by Alvaro Castagnet
Watercolor Artist (ISSN 1941-5451) is published six times a year

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WHERE THE ART OF PAPERMAKING BEGAN

editor’s note
FEBRUARY 2018
Editor-in-Chief Anne Hevener

Art Director Brian Roeth
Senior Editor Beth Williams
R
Associate Editor McKenzie Graham
ome. Paris. Prague. Venice. Moscow. Barcelona.
Content Strategist, Fine Art Group Michael Gormley New York City. Travelers are drawn to these
ADVERTISING vibrant global cities for many reasons—stunning
Director of Advertising Sales Tony Carrini architecture, famous museums, spectacular gar-
646/859-6599; tony.carrini@fwmedia.com
Advertising Team Leader, Fine Art Mary McLane
dens, vibrant nightlife, tantalizing cuisine. The list of
970/290-6065; mary.mclane@fwmedia.com attractions is long.
Media Sales Specialist Carol Lake In this issue, we feature two artists—Alvaro
385/414-1439; carol.lake@fwmedia.com
Media Sales Coordinator Barb Prill
Castagnet of Uruguay (page 28) and Igor Sava of Italy
800/283-0963, ext. 13435; (page 48)—who do a lot of world travel and whose artwork celebrates the
barb.prill@fwmedia.com
beauty and energy of bustling urban hubs like the ones mentioned above.
F +W, A C O N T E N T + EC O M M E R C E C O M PA N Y Of course, what lures a person to visit a great cultural mecca like Paris is
Chief Executive Offi cer Thomas F.X. Beusse
Chief Operating Offi cer Joe Seibert quite different from what inspires a person to paint there. For both artists,
Chief Financial Offi cer Jennifer Graham whether they’re painting on a sidewalk in the City of Lights or along a
Chief Content Offi cer Steve Madden
Chief Technology Offi cer Joe Romello
quiet lane in the Italian countryside, it’s primarily the quality of the light
SVP, General Manager—Crafts Group John Bolton that’s the main attraction.
SVP, General Manager—Fine Art, Writing
From there, the objective becomes more cerebral, as the artists use their
and Design Groups David Pyle
SVP, General Manager—Outdoors and well-honed techniques and the unique qualities of watercolor to share a
Small Business Groups Ray Chelstowski personal response to a chosen subject—a response that conveys one magi-
Managing Director—F+W Intl. James Woollum
VP, General Counsel Robert Sporn
cal moment in a place that generates lavish amounts of enchantment.
VP, Human Resources Gigi Healy
VP, Manufacturing & Logistics Phil Graham
Newsstand Sales Scott T. Hill
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because I like
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the light. That’s
730 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646.
Tel: 201/634-7400. Fax: 201/634-7499.
my priority.”
Attention Retailers: To carry Watercolor Artist in your stores, —Alvaro Castagnet
contact sales@fwmedia.com.
Alvaro Castagnet, shown here in his
P R I VACY P R O M I S E
Occasionally we make portions of our customer list home studio in Montevideo, Uruguay,
available to other companies so they may contact you about speaks of four technical “pillars”
products and services that may be of interest to you. that make a strong painting, but the
If you prefer we withhold your name, simply send a note
with the magazine name to: List Manager, F+W Media, Inc.
biggest challenge, he says, isn’t
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242. technique. “It’s making a painting with
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featured artists
Alvaro Castagnet Igor Sava Judy Saltzman

alvarocastagnet.com igorsavaart.com artgalleryofsarasota.com
Alvaro Castagnet (page 28) was born and lives Igor Sava (page 48) was born in the 1970s Judy Saltzman (page 38) calls Sarasota, Fla.,
in Montevideo, Uruguay, where his father first in Soviet Moldova. He attended a fine arts home. She melds “realism and impression-
introduced him to watercolor. He trained as high school and earned a university degree ism to create visual intricacy, adding layers
an artist in Montevideo, first at the National in graphic design. When he moved to Rome, of color for harmony,” to create her sailing
School of Art and then at the Fine Arts his current home, he studied at the Academy series, as well as other subjects. She’s a
University. He has been exhibiting his work of Fine Arts. Sava participates in numer- signature member of numerous art societies,
since 1985 and is the winner of many awards. ous international exhibitions and conducts including the National Watercolor Society, for
He teaches and juries throughout the world. watercolor workshops around the world. which she serves as web director.
Jean Grastorf Geoff Kersey Iain Stewart

jeangrastorf.com geoffkersey.co.uk iainstew.fineartstudioonline.com
A master status member of the Transparent As a professional landscape artist who Iain Stewart (page 88), of Opelika, Ala.,
Watercolor Society of America and a dol- works primarily in watercolor, U.K.-based is a watercolor artist and a sought-after
phin fellowship member of the American Geoff Kersey (page 77) shares his love juror and workshop instructor. A signature
Watercolor Society, Jean Grastorf (page of the medium through his instructional member of both the American and National
12) is renowned for her signature poured articles, books, videos and workshops. The Watercolor Societies, Stewart has garnered
painting technique, which she shares via artist’s latest book is Painting Perspective, numerous awards for his work in international
workshops in the U.S. and abroad. She’s a Depth and Distance in Watercolour (Search competitions. He’s also an architectural illus-
North Light author and video instructor. Press, 2017). trator with an international clientele.
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Splash
making a
Hidden Treasure
in Gouache An illustration of a vase
of chives from Leave Me
Alone With the Recipes.
The unexpected find of a fully

illustrated and unpublished
manuscript of recipes is
reinvigorated with new life.
I n a stroke of luck, Wendy MacNaughton

spotted a gem while browsing a pile of old
books. It was a sketchbook, belonging to
Cipe Pineles, Condé Nast’s first female
art director and a leader in 20th-century
graphic design. Gouache illustrations leapt
off the pages with exuberant color and a
strong sense of design, accompanied by
recipes inspired by the author’s Jewish and
Eastern European culinary heritage.
MacNaughton became co-editor with
Sarah Rich of the manuscript-turned-
cookbook—Leave Me Alone With the Recipes
I M A G E C O U R T E S Y O F L E AV E M E A LO N E W I T H T H E R EC I P E S ( B LO O M S B U R Y, 2 0 1 7 )
(Bloomsbury USA, 2017)—and they, in turn,
hired writer Maria Popova and artist Debbie
Millman to help them.
The cookbook contains Pineles’ original
text and paintings, but it also presents mod-
ern-day recipe interpretations and “articles
on food illustration, biography and branding
from luminaries like Maira Kalman, Paula Scher,
Steven Heller and Mimi Sheraton,” according
to Bloomsbury.
Modern-day interpretations might make
these recipes more practical—I’m looking at you
“Potted Liver With Hardboiled Eggs”—but even
without the recipes, this book’s illustrations
alone make it worthy of a spot on your coffee
table or a proverbial seat at your next dinner party.
Read more about Leave Me Alone With the
Recipes at bloomsbury.com.
Watercolor News & Views
BY M C K E N Z I E G R A H A M
Mother Nature
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Mijello has just released a new
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Mission Gold is designed to
disperse quickly, beautifully
and evenly in water, allowing
artists to achieve a sense of
Fan-favorite Thomas W. Schaller has released a trio of binge-worthy DVDs— atmospheric perspective more
Dramatic Complements, Perspective & Design and Fog on the River—for your easily. Visit mijelloart.com to
next night in, in which he details information he’s learned in his 20-year career. read more about the new set.
Watch Dramatic Complements and discover the power of editing; how to
paint luminous shadows; how to establish a sense of depth and perspective;
and color-mixing techniques for creating strong neutrals. Watch Perspective
& Design and delve into one-, two- and three-point perspective until these
useful storytelling tools become second nature. Finally, learn from the master
of atmosphere how to make your paintings exude that evocation that makes
them both compelling and mysterious to the viewer with Fog on the River.
Buy them individually, as downloads or as a set at bit.ly/schallerdvds.
“When painting en plein air, there’s

a direct relationship between
the artist and nature.” —Igor Sava, page 48
m st-see show
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S A I N T LO U I S A R T M U S E U M , M I S S O U R I , M U S E U M P U R C H A S E © 2 0 1 7 A N D R E W W Y E T H /
When imagining the list of artists
who will go down in history as part
of an official “canon,” one wouldn’t
expect to think of artists working in
the year 2008, but Andrew Wyeth was
still producing art at that time. His
work spans 75 years, and 2017 would
have been his centennial birthday.
In collaboration with the
Brandywine River Museum of Art,
the Seattle Art Museum is presenting
110 of Wyeth’s paintings and draw-
ARTIST RIGHTS SOCIET Y (ARS)
ings from the 1930s to 2008. They

include some less well-known works
on loan from the artist’s family and
some studies that provide a glimpse
into Wyeth’s technical process.
Curators propose that these more
dream-like artworks complicate long-
held critical notions of Wyeth as an
“out-of-step realist,” revealing how he “Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect” Teel’s Island (top; 1954; watercolor on paper,
imbued images of the places, people will be on view through January 15. 10x23)
and things around him with his own For more information about the exhi- Day of the Fair (1963; watercolor on paper,
“mysterious temperament.” bition, visit seattleartmuseum.org. 147⁄8 x19¾)
Art sts ARTISTSNETWORK.COM
Magazine
AN N UAL
ART COMPETITION
Waiting In the Wing
- Liz Walker
Apples 4 apples, Dust 2 Dust, On the Road to success, Who should one trust.
- Sharen Watson
SEE YOUR ART IN THE PAGES OF

Artists Magazine
EARLY-BIRD DEADLINE: APRIL 2, 2018

Compete and Win in 5 Categories:
Animal/Wildlife t Still Life/ Interior t Abstract/Experimental t Landscape t Portrait/ Figure
$24,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES!
YOUR ART IN PRINT YOUR WORK ONLINE
Winners will be featured Twelve finalists will be

in an issue of Artists featured on our website,
Magazine. Student which attracts hundreds
winners will be featured in of thousands of visits per
a separate issue. year—all eyes on
your work!
For complete prizes, guidelines and to enter online, visit

artistsnetwork.com/the-artists-magazine-annual-competition
creativity workshop
BY J E A N G R A S T O R F
Form(at) Meets Function

Which comes first—subject or format? Here’s what you need to know.
Workbreak (watercolor on paper, 20x28)

is the last in a series of three paintings
inspired by a photo of a house painter in
New York. The first was a half-sheet, show-
A s watercolor artists, it’s our
desire to use paint and brush to
create and then share our interpreta-
Which Comes First:
Format or Subject?
It’s easy to fall into the rut of
ing the subject from the waist up. The
second—a half-sheet portrait—highlighted tions of what we see and feel, and to working with 12x16-, 20x24- and
facial planes. This version couldn’t have translate and present them effec- 22x30-inch paper. I’ve taught stu-
happened without its predecessors; the
horizontal format, traditionally used for land- tively on a two-dimensional surface. dents who have a stock of mats and
scapes, presents an interesting view. The placement of shapes, forms frames, and they often feel that they
and colors onto that surface requires have to paint to fit inside them. But if
careful planning. Before we can even we break free from these restrictions,
begin to design our watercolor paint- we avoid boring ourselves—and the
ing successfully, we need to consider viewer. Just because a sheet of water-
the surface’s parameters, or format. color paper comes in a particular
Inspiring
Contrast
SPLASH 18
Value:
Celebrating Light and Dark
Discover valuable lessons from 130
modern-day watercolor masters.
There is no more fundamental
duality than that of light and dark.
For the artist, no element is more
effective at conveying a sense of
space or directing the viewer’s eye.
A strong value composition is key
to bringing drama to city scenes
and capturing nature’s gloriously
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r v w r
and is used most often for landscapes.

A half-sheet horizontal format may
discover format possibilities be ideal for a panoramic landscape or
A square, horizontal or vertical format can be developed from a reclining figure.
almost any image. Try out all three formats for the same subject. A vertical format encourages the
eye to move up and down the paint-
ing. Although it’s commonly used for
portrait or figure paintings, a half-
sheet vertical format may be perfect
to depict a landscape—perhaps a
narrow European alley.
A square format isn’t as common
as the other two, but it’s ideal when
the subject matter is the center of
interest. This format conveys a
sense of balance and proportion.
Geometric forms often sit well
within the square, so it’s well-suited
for abstract and intuitive work.
Whatever format you choose
should complement and further the
objectives of your painting. Don’t
be afraid to try an unconventional
choice, as I did in Sunny on Sixth (on
page 17); it may prove challenging,
but it also may result in more inter-
esting divisions of space.
Excerpted with permission from The Watercolor Bible by Joe Garcia (North Light
Books, 2006). Available at northlightshop.com and wherever books are sold. If your first attempt to use a differ-
ent format than usual doesn’t please
you, take what you learned and move
on to another proportion and/or size.
size doesn’t mean that it’s the best three most common formats are Building from a foundation of earlier
format for a painting’s composition. horizontal, vertical and square. imagery allows for bolder strokes. See
The most important thing to A horizontal format lets the the examples on pages 16 and 17 to
understand is that size isn’t as viewer’s eye move across the painting see how I’ve explored format.
important as the proportion of
height to width in relation to the
subject matter. Only after decisions
regarding composition and format try this at home
are made can the painting process Create a trio of paintings of the same subject in three different
move forward. formats—horizontal, vertical and square. Send JPEGs (with a resolu-
tion of 72 dpi) of them to wcamag@fwmedia.com with “Creativity
Choose a Format Workshop” in the subject line. The “editor’s choice” will receive a
subscription (or renewal) to Watercolor Artist. The entry deadline is
So, how do we decide which for-
February 15, 2018.
mat makes the most sense for the
subject and the desired effect? The
F RO M O UR S P O N S O RS
WHAT’S THE
RIGHT PAPER
FOR YOU? SURFACE There are two industry
standards: hot-pressed and cold-
pressed.
WEIGHT Watercolor papers tradition-
ally are available in 90-lb./200gsm,
140-lb./300gsm and 300-lb./640gsm
weights.
Hot-pressed has the smoothest
Choosing watercolor paper can be wash; a substandard sizing will be surface, making it ideal for detail work 90-lb.: This paper is actually best for
an arduous task, as the decision relies more unpredictable. such as botanical illustration and ar- drawing. It’s a little light for watercolor,
on many parameters. Here’s what you Most paper mills still use animal- chitectural rendering and illustration. because the paper buckles when wet.
need to know to select the right paper based products, such as rabbit skin Cold-pressed is the industry standard, 140-lb.: This is the standard, as it
for your next watercolor painting. glue and gelatin, which produces a representing 75 percent of watercolor shows limited to no buckling, will take
fairly unpleasant smell. (Many artists paper sales overall. It offers a fairly a lot of abuse and will roll conveniently
QUALITY All serious watercolorists also choose to stay away from animal- light texture, which allows for more for traveling.
should use a paper from a reputable based products.) The oldest mill, painterly pigment representation, in-
brand that offers both artist- and Fabriano (1264), is the only one that 300-lb.: This paper is much stiffer
cluding transparency and granulation.
student-grade paper. Why? A mill that uses a non-animal-based sizing. and harder, doesn’t buckle, mounts
Rough-pressed has the same qualities
creates high-end paper will most likely easily without support, and will take a
as cold-pressed, but provides a more
make a better student alternative. PROPERTIES Papers that are both variety of media, including acrylic, ink,
noticeable texture that can be chal-
Artist-quality offers these acid-free and buffered with calcium gouache and egg tempera. Because it’s
lenging for less experienced artists.
features: more cotton content; mould- carbonate will ensure that the paper expensive, some mills have introduced
made rather than machine-made to doesn’t deteriorate over time. Chlorine a 200-lb. option, which offers a sub-
Fabriano Artistico is the only water-
prevent a pronounced grain direction; free and no optical brighteners are stantial weight at an affordable price.
color paper available as soft-pressed,
deckled edges, which make the sheet also seals of quality. (Additives will a unique velvety surface that’s
look like handmade paper; and a at first increase the brightness of a COLOR A traditional white features
exclusively used by some artists, such
watermark (originally invented in 1282 paper, but eventually will cause the a sensuous creamy hue that softens a
as renowned watercolorist Laurin
in the Fabriano Valley, Italy, to identify paper to deteriorate). work’s impact.
McCracken, as it works extremely well
the origin of the paper). Paper made with cellulose— for photorealistic still lifes, florals Extra white, which is chlorine- and
usually from cotton or trees—should and landscapes. It’s also praised as a brightener-free, allows for a crisp,
SIZING Sizing is the component be sourced responsibly. If a paper surface for pastel application. modern look.
that controls the flow of watercolor isn’t made from cotton, a Forest
on the paper, as well as the ability Stewardship Council (FSC) label
to scrape and lift paint successfully. signifies that the product is sourced
Both internal and external sizing are in an environmentally-friendly,
needed for total control. High-quality socially responsible and economically
sizing will lead to a better, more even viable manner.
savoirfaire.com
r r
1 floral, 3 ways
This smaller canna is lit with an almost circular movement. Back-

lit Canna (watercolor on paper, 20x26) is a horizontal study of the
beauty of the sun shining through the plant’s colorful leaves.
In Red Canna (acrylic on paper, 30x20), the vertical plant is sunlit,

showing how the color is burned out. Wherever the light hits is shown
as white paper. The vertical format highlights the strong color in
shadows and complements the tall plant.
I poured acrylics and then painted Square Canna (acrylic on canvas,

12x12). The square format called for some reorganization, so I placed
the canna in the center for balance and proportion. An overhead view
added to the intrigue.
street scenes x 3
I’ve been enamored with street scenes for several For example, I’ve painted a vertical treatment of a
years. Instead of using a traditional horizontal format Greek alley, an elongated horizontal view of a New York
for all of my cityscapes, I determine format based on City street and a rectangular format for a Roman piazza.
what I want to convey. The possibilities are all part of the creative endeavor.
In Athens, Greece, the “plaka,” or marketplace, Piazza Di Espagne (watercolor on paper, 20x28) follows a more traditional format—the full
is a crowded, busy, colorful location. Plaka sheet. It’s a familiar and therefore easier-to-design space. The complex subject fits well into
(watercolor on paper, 28x20) called for a the size and proportion, with room for all of the details of buildings, carriages and people.
vertical format, with the buildings framing the It benefits from breathing room; a smaller size would have crowded the elements.
people and shops.
When we think of New York City, tall skyscrapers immediately come to mind; however, I went against the expected in Sunny on Sixth (watercolor
on paper, 6x28), choosing an elongated horizontal. I halved a full sheet of paper lengthwise to highlight the inhabitants’ lower eye level. Bonus?
I was left with the other half of the paper to use—perhaps as an elongated vertical.

meet the masters
“I will live by my watercolors.”

Winslow Homer’s early paintings reveal how he became
one of the medium’s greatest masters.
F our boys sit in a deep-sided boat.

Straw hats shield their faces
from the summer sun. The water
reveals bits of blue—openings in the
clouds allowing sunlight through.
A boy rows with a single oar, posi-
unfamiliar with watercolors, as his
mother was a skilled amateur water-
colorist and likely introduced him to
is calm, save for ripples that break tioned almost directly in the center the medium at an early age. Homer
reflections into long strips of color, of the composition. The boy in front had used watercolor washes in
and a breeze powers two distant of him looks ahead, while the one in drawings for engravings and in pre-
schooners and a sailboat. The sky back leisurely dangles his bare feet paratory sketches for oil paintings,
appears flat and gray, but the water over the boat’s stern. but it wasn’t until 1873 that he made
Winslow Homer’s Boys in a Dory his first watercolors for exhibition.
(opposite) feels spontaneously At this time, the concept of using
plucked out of its larger context; the watercolor as a serious artistic
bow of the boat has been cropped medium was still in its infancy in
from the picture; we can see only America. Established just seven
one boy’s face, appearing less con- years earlier, the American Society
fident than the other boys’, as he of Painters in Water Colors, later
sits within the hull partially hidden renamed the American Watercolor
B R U N S W I C K , M A I N E , G I F T O F T H E H O M E R FA M I LY
by the dory’s sides. He peeks at us Society, was slowly raising the

from beneath the wide brim of his medium’s public profi le. In 1873, the
hat. Scenes from the daily lives of Society sponsored an exhibition of
B O W D O I N C O L L EG E M U S E U M O F A R T,
common folk—especially from the nearly 600 American and European

lives of children—were hallmarks of watercolors at New York’s National
Homer’s first watercolors. Academy of Design. Homer would
have seen this exhibition, and it
Humble Beginnings presumably sparked his interest in
Homer’s engraved illustrations and using watercolor for finished works.
oil paintings of Civil War subjects
cemented his reputation as an artist Inspired by Play
Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910) by the late 1860s. He wasn’t wholly That summer, he left for Gloucester,
Feb. 24, 1836 1855 1857 1862 1873 1876

Born in Boston Apprentices Begins illustrating Travels with Spends summer Elected member
in lithography Harper’s Weekly Union Army in in Gloucester, of American
workshop Virginia; creates Mass.; makes first Society of
first Civil War watercolors Painters in Water
illustrations Colors
BY TA M E R A L E N Z M U E N T E
B EQ U E S T O F M O L LY F L AG G K N U DT S E N , 2 0 0 1
Notice Homer’s careful pencil outlines in

Mass., where he made his first cliffs. Perhaps most touchingly, they Boys in a Dory (1873; watercolor washes
and gouache over graphite underdrawing on
paintings in the medium. From June gaze out to sea, waiting for their medium rough-textured white wove paper,
through August, Homer observed fishermen fathers. 93⁄4x137⁄8).
and painted children playing around In Homer’s early paintings, chil-
the wharfs and boatyards. In this dren seem at one with nature. They
first watercolor series, children haul exist apart from adults as hopeful era and as symbols of the nation’s
baskets of clams, climb on beached figures in an idyllic, rural world; but, lost innocence.
dories and row small boats near in the art and literature of post- Homer started his Gloucester
shore. They pick berries in coastal Civil War America, children were watercolors with loose graphite
meadows and hunt for eggs on sandy seen as both harbingers of a new underdrawings on top of which he
1881 1886 1889 1900 1904 Sept. 29, 1910

Travels to Visits and paints Begins series of Wins Gold Makes last Dies in Prouts
Cullerscoats, in Florida outdoorsmen in Medal at Paris watercolor; Neck, Maine
England; spends Adirondacks Exposition; continues
20 months French painting in oil
on series of government
fishermen and purchases oil
women on coast painting

CALL FOR ENTRIES
acrylicworks 6
Creative Energy
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applied washes, along with opaque American Society of Painters in Water town marked the beginning of a
watercolor and gouache. He used Colors. Critics were torn over these lifelong commitment to watercolor
paper with a smooth finish, but works, hailing them as fresh and that would make Homer one of the
didn’t wet it first, as was the com- original, but also condemning them greatest innovators of the medium.
mon practice among watercolorists as raw and unfinished. Some praised In 1875, Homer made his last illus-
who made tightly detailed works. the subject matter as quintessentially tration for Harper’s Weekly, which had
Applying the paint to a dry surface American, while others thought it been his main source of income. That
caused tiny flecks of white to show rude and commonplace. A writer for year, he showed 27 watercolors—
through, creating a sort of sparkling the New York Daily Tribune called the including more from Gloucester—at
effect that strengthened the over- watercolors “memorandum blots the Society’s annual exhibition. The
all sense of light in the works. To and exclamation points.” He goes on: sheer number of works publicly
capture the brightest points of light, “[the paintings are] so pleasant to look declared his embrace of the medium
Homer either preserved the white at, we are almost content not to ask and foreshadowed the statement he
paper or applied opaque white water- Mr. Homer for a finished piece.” Yet would later make to his dealer: “You
color or gouache; both techniques another New York critic wrote that will see, in the future I will live by
can be seen in Boys in a Dory. in Homer’s watercolors, “you feel the my watercolors.”
blow of the salt sea breezes and shade
Homer’s Critics your eyes from the dazzling sun glare.” TAMERA LENZ MUENTE is associate
The year after his summer in None of them could have pre- curator of the Taft Museum of Art in
Gloucester, Homer presented water- dicted that these depictions of Cincinnati and a regular contributing
colors at the annual exhibition of the children in a New England fishing writer to Watercolor Artist.
Missouri Watercolor Society

2018 International Competition
June 19 – July 5, 2018
Quingdao Laotian Museum, China
$20,000 in awards and prizes!
Entries accepted December 1, 2017 – February 15, 2018
All selected entries to be shipped unframed and rolled
View prospectus at MOWSART.#/-
Watercolor Painting Tour Of China

June 21 – July 6, 2018
Join us for a 17-day Sightseeing and Watercolor

Painting Tour of China with Dongfeng Li and
Daven Anderson, sponsored by the Missouri Watercolor
Society. Tour reservations close March 31, 2018;
$3,800 includes airfare, all hotels and meals.
MOWSART.#/-

studio staples
Organize Your Way

How you organize your studio, like many things, often comes down to
what works best for you, but it’s still helpful to hear what interesting
solutions others have found to get the most from their painting spaces.
E verybody’s tolerance for clutter in

the studio is different. You may be
someone who embraces a bit of mess
(“It’s not mess; it’s creativity!”) or you
may be the type who finds comfort
in a tidy, orderly space. Regardless
of the mind-set, there are some
challenges—such as storage—that
are common complaints, and some
simple strategies and ways of work-
ing that can be useful.
We asked top art professionals:
“What has worked best for you?” Read
on to hear about space-saving tactics,
as well as helpful habits and other
best practices for making the studio
a motivating space.
There’s an App for That

“Forty-five years ago, when I first
began my professional art career,”
says Ken Goldman, “if I needed a
particular photo reference from
which to make sketches, I’d trek
to the public library’s ‘photo-file
morgue’ [an extensive collection of
all sorts of photos and magazine
clippings]. Now, although I still carry
and use a sketchbook, the iPad and
iPhone have made conceptualizing
and problem-solving even easier—
and certainly tidier. Specifically, I use
an incredible app called ArtStudio,
which has made a big difference.
Ken Goldman and his artist wife, Stephanie,

(pictured here) rely on two large, custom-
built taborets, affectionately referred to as
the “mother ships,” to keep order in their
shared studio.
BY A N N E H E V E N E R
“ArtStudio is a portable photo- critical mass, I have an ‘organiza-

editing program—not as refined or tional day’ when I sort and throw
powerful as Photoshop—but light, away things I don’t need. That day is
mobile and complete enough for my on the schedule now.”
conceptual needs. Not only can I prob-
lem-solve paintings without ruining Have Tools at the Ready
the original, I also can plot out design “There are a number of essential tools
ideas easily, because all of my photos that I want to have within arm’s
are already stored in the photo library reach when I paint,” says Laurin
on my device—a modern ‘photo-file McCracken. “Since watercolor often
morgue.’ And other photos can be paints itself and often has internal
imported via the internet. actions that can change in minutes,
P H OTO BY J E A N G R A S TO R F
“The app has multiple drawing and I don’t want to have to take time to
painting tools, and every imaginable think about where I put my small
opaque or transparent color. Finally, squares of blotting paper.
hundreds of projects-in-process can “Likewise, I use a lot of differ-
be filed away neatly for later use, all ent types of masking. I want to
within one small device.” know where the masking fluid is,
and where the drafting and X-Acto Like Jean Grastorf, many artists find a flat
Forced Simplicity knives are. The most important of all file to be useful for studio storage and
organization.
“To an outsider looking in, organiza- these tools are my brushes. I want
tion would be the last thing that to know where my brushes are at all
would come to mind when viewing times, right down to where the No. 4 for tubes of watercolor paint,
my studio,” says Iain Stewart. “I do, is placed versus the No. 6. another for tubes of acrylic and a
however, have a system in place “Therefore, I keep all of these drawer for brushes, among many
that allows me to make sense of materials in the same places to mini- other things.”
what my wife, Noelle, calls the mize disruption and to maximize my
‘studio situation.’ time and effort.” Set the Records Straight
“A few years ago, as my career “Over the last 40 years of making art,
began to get more chaotic, I real- Making Space I’ve tried to keep a record of most
ized that I was just shuffling papers, “Storage is always a problem,” says everything I’ve done,” says Stephen
materials, dog beds, etc., from one Kathleen Conover. “I had my painting Quiller. “It’s important to have this
part of the studio to another. The tables built with vertical divisions information for reference, books and
dogs followed the beds, but every- from floor level to countertop. I can articles that I write, and for collec-
thing else was disorderly. store clean paper in their boxes, as tors who want to see my work.
“To address the mess, I decided well as my many painting ‘starts,’ “I have a photography setup in my
to remove as much of my storage vertically. I always label the box ends, studio with lights, camera and a ver-
capacity in the studio as possible, so I can see what I have and easily tical flat board wrapped with black
thus forcing myself to have only pull out what I need. The tabletop has felt. I shoot a painting, or paintings,
the essentials within reach. What an overhang for ‘toe space.’ It isn’t and then insert my memory card
that has meant is that my dedicated exactly pretty, but it sure works well.” into my computer where I rotate and
studio space now has fewer places to crop the paintings, as needed, and
stack or squirrel away the detritus. Filed Away place them in a permanent file. And,
“As I work, my studio’s level of “I find my flat file to be very helpful,” each year, I make backup copies to
mess rises, but before it reaches says Jean Grastorf. “I have a drawer ensure permanence.

l
“I want to know where my brushes are at all times, right

down to where the No. 4 is placed versus the No. 6.”
— Laurin McCracken
keep the joy

Getting organized doesn’t mean
that you have to rid your studio of
everything impractical. As minimal-
ism guru Marie Kondo, author of
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying
Up, explains: “Discarding is not
the point; what matters is keeping
those things that bring you joy.”
The following are studio staples in
the eyes of these artists, because
they answer the question: What
sparks joy in your studio?
P H OTO BY J E A N G R A S TO R F
My Brush Holders. “I have a small My Stereo. “I won’t work without Lilly the cat is Jean Grastorf’s indispensable
collection of small cream pitchers music,” says Z.L. Feng. “Having a “studio staple.”
and tumblers of very colorful Deruta stereo in the studio to play music
pottery from Italy,” says Laurin definitely helps with my mood and are they indispensable, they spark
McCracken. “I use them to hold keeps me focused. It’s also impor- so much joy, there’s no way we’d
brushes that I want near me when tant for me to have a soothing ever consider jettisoning them.”
I’m painting. Their wonderful colors cup of green tea right by my easel.
and shapes greet me every time I Taken together, the music and tea My Books. “When I’m stuck on a
go to my painting board—a cheerful create a relaxing atmosphere that specific subject, nothing is better
start to the painting process.” really pushes me forward.” than a book to change my focus
completely,” says Iain Stewart. “I’ll
My Painting Apron. “My painting My Taboret. “I share a 3,300-square- just grab a book from my library
apron is my ‘spark of joy,’ ” says foot studio space with my artist and spend a few quiet minutes
Antonio Masi. “It marks a milestone. wife, Stephanie,” says Ken Goldman. looking at paintings that have
I received it from Cheap Joe’s as a “Studio order begins with our two nothing to do with what I’m trying
congratulatory gift when I became a large taborets that I built for us [pic- to accomplish. It’s a sort of mental
signature member of the American tured on page 22]. We call them our yoga or meditation.”
Watercolor Society in 2009. Just ‘mother ships,’ because we leave
putting on the apron puts me in a them in place near our main easels My Pets. Stewart also mentioned
frame of mind to paint. I wear it in and use smaller rolling taborets— his dogs. “There’s something
my studio, at workshops, when I our ‘space shuttles’—when working particularly peaceful about the last
demo, and when I’m plein air paint- on projects in other parts of the stu- snuffle of a dog before it goes to
ing. I’ve adapted it with kangaroo dio. Each taboret has two separate sleep at your feet,” he says. Jean
pockets that hold my value finder, sliding shelves for watermedia and Grastorf also referenced the joy of
6-inch ruler, kneaded eraser, hand oils, a glass palette on top, a third a studio pet. “Lilly, my calico cat, is
mirror, iPad, sheets of paper towels static shelf for miscellaneous media my best helper,” she says. “She’s
and small pieces of watercolor and wheels in case they ever need always on the drawing table offering
paper to test colors.” to be moved. Simply put, not only her encouragement.”
Become a
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PAINTER
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Access to more than 500 art
“My daughter Allison is currently instructions videos
archiving all of my paintings from
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1972 to the present, adding keywords
products and services
as to the dates, medium or media,
and the subject matter and/or place Free book or ebook
where it was painted.”
NORTH
You Can Take It With You LIGHT
“The most helpful item in my studio
is my iPad,” says Antonio Masi. “It
goes wherever I go; it’s like taking my
studio with me.
“My iPad has tremendous uses for
Visit www.northlight
me. I use it to store my references
shop.com/north-light-vip
and photos of my work. It assists me
in the different stages of a painting
in progress. When using it to view a
reference, I can enlarge a section in
order to see it better.
“I also use it for record-keeping,
sales, billing, accounts receivable,
work schedule, workshop schedules,
art contests and exhibition sched-
ules, and deadline reminders.”
Keeping Tabs on Tools

“Organizing tools and materials,
while still keeping them accessible,
is always a goal. So, I organize tubes
of paint by families of color,” says
Birgit O’Connor. “You can use small
plastic bags, clear plastic drawers
with dividers, or to save room, even
a clear plastic shoe organizer that
hangs on the door.
“With brushes, because differ-
ent painting styles require different
needs, I organize brushes by size and
type. To prevent ruining a tip, I place
them tip-up in large stone containers
where they’re easily accessible.
“I like to keep brands and weights
of paper separate, too, and try not to
mingle them. I don’t want to think I
have one type of paper only to find

l
P H OTO BY J O H N S A L M I N E N
John Salminen uses plastic bins for paint
storage. “An individual bin stores quite a few
out later that I grabbed the wrong one. “The solution to the chaos came tubes of paint,” he says. “And the bins stack,
“For my reference photos, organiz- during a trip to the local building so they require a minimal amount of counter
ing by subject matter really helps center where I saw these plastic space. Even when stacked, it’s easy to grab
a tube of paint. I’ve arranged the bins in the
and makes it easier for me to find stackable bins [above]. They’re same color order as my palette.”
what I’m looking for. So, for example, probably intended for the storage
I sort by flowers first, then by flower of nuts and bolts, but they’re sized
type, and then by color.” just right for multiple tubes of paint. The Essential Sketchbook
The system is simple, but it has “Like a lot of artists, I’m a horizontal
Organizing With Tape made my studio time much more stacker,” says Mark Mehaffey. “I can
“I have a lot of different paintings and productive, and I’ll never again real- fill every flat space available to me.
pictures in the studio,” says Z.L. Feng, ize partway through a painting that And, weeks later, I can remember
“along with assorted materials and I’ve run out of a color.” where I put something down. Rosie,
frames. What helps me stay orga- my wife and business partner, how-
nized is to set aside part of the room The Big Clean ever, is an inveterate picker-upper.
and dedicate that space exclusively “After 10 years of doing parental If I put anything down in the house
to a certain item. care, when both of my parents had and expect it to be there a day or two
“For example, I’ll tape a border passed on, I felt that one stage of later, it’s not. It has been picked up
on my floor and place reference my life had ended and another and put away. Drives me crazy!
photos in baskets or folders in the had begun,” says Katherine Chang “So, Rosie has been banned from
left corner of my studio and then Liu. “Over the course of that decade touching anything in the studio,
the easel somewhere in the center. of caretaking, a lot of things had even something that has been in
This keeps references nearby, so accumulated in my studio, and my the same place for weeks. Drives her
I’m able to find what I’m looking for working space had shrunk. So last nuts! Having said that, I give Rosie
quickly and use it. Likewise, I keep summer I did a big purge. every credit. I couldn’t do what I do
my tools and materials blocked off “I started with old work, tear- without her help.
to my right.” ing a lot of old paintings I’d done “The one thing that really does
on paper and gessoing a lot of the keep me organized, though, is my
Tubes, Tubes & More Tubes work I’d painted on canvas or panel. sketchbook. It’s my place to find
“I was awash in paint,” says John I took a cold eye to what needed to out if an idea might work; to see if a
Salminen. “Some of the tubes I’d be discarded, and within a week, I’d design is sound; to explore varia-
purchased; others I’d earned as reduced the amount of stuff in my tions; and to make a connection. My
merchandise awards; and some studio by 75 percent. sketchbook keeps me on track and
were given to me for testing. Tubes “Then I did the same with art organized. And, I always know where
and tubes and more tubes. The supplies and art books. Art supplies I put it down.”
bulk of them were heaped in boxes, went to local schoolchildren, and art
Ziploc bags and random piles in cor- books went to the local library. What works best to keep your
ners of my studio. When I needed to “After this purge, I reorganized studio organized? Email your
find a specific color, I spent a lot of everything, and my studio became tips to wcaedit@fwmedia.com.
time rummaging. spacious and more efficient.” Use the subject head “Organize.”
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Color, shape, value and edges
serve as the underpinnings
for Alvaro Castagnet’s
painted landscapes of
light-filled scenes from
around the world.
PA IN T ING W I T H
PASSION
AND SAVVY BY J O H N A . PA R KS
Paris Vista
A
(watercolor on
paper, 26x40) lvaro Castagnet paints the world with life and light, and interiors that re-create more
unrestrained zeal, swinging his brushes somber kinds of illumination. “Watercolor offers
On previous pages:
in broad, assertive strokes; building spontaneity and the freedom to succumb to the
Café Brasilero
(watercolor on rich, glowing washes; and animating the whole beautiful glow of its washes,” the artist says.
paper, 22x30) with speedy linear mark-making. The resulting “It’s the medium that reflects my personality
paintings brim with warm energy and a plea- most closely, and it’s the way I conceive art—
surable sense of encounter and discovery. fresh, spontaneous and executed in one go.”
An indefatigable traveler who gives work-
shops all over the world, the Montevideo, The Four Pillars
Uruguay-based Castagnet relishes taking on Yet for all the speed and directness of his
new territory in cityscapes that explode with approach, Castagnet is highly skilled at
Prague (watercolor
on paper, 30x22)
establishing powerful and dynamic composi- requirements as the “four pillars” of watercolor:
tions, creating light and form, and rendering color, shape, value and edges.
a coherent and consistent space throughout
his paintings. It’s the tension between this The First Pillar: Color
kind of control—and the sheer immediacy of In discussing color, Castagnet talks about the
his execution—that gives his work its power importance of finding color harmonies within
and authority. a painting and staying within a family of color.
Castagnet’s approach relies heavily on raw “Watercolor has to be more sophisticated than
energy and directness, but he also has strong simply painting with transparent pinks,
feelings about the technical requirements yellows and blues,” he says. “You have to have
for a successful painting. He describes these color for mood and harmony, and it’s not easy

Vernazza
(watercolor on to be harmonious. It’s not easy to maintain cer- painting so that it’s compatible with what else
paper, 30x22)
tain color schemes that are well integrated and is happening.”
New York Taxis that are very much a member of a family.” Painting in this way often leads Castagnet
(center; watercolor
on paper, 30x22) The artist notes that most tube colors are away from a strict realism as he makes choices
highly unnatural in their raw state. You rarely based on the look, feel and mood of the painting
see a saturated viridian green in nature or a instead of trying to reproduce the exact values
pure ultramarine blue, so Castagnet nearly of his subject. “A painting is an illusion,” he says.
always mixes more complex color on his pal- “It’s a view that doesn’t exist. When I’m paint-
ette, typically using Daniel Smith, Winsor & ing, I’m able to manipulate things at will. It’s
Newton, Sennelier and Holbein. “As I proceed like creating poetry. If I use dark, juicy washes,
with a painting, I have to synchronize the for instance, it’s one way for me to express
color,” Castagnet says. “If I come to paint a tree, myself. Sometimes I have to be bold and brave.”
I not only have to look at it, but I also have to Indeed, Castagnet’s courage and intuitive
paint it according to what’s going on in the flare sometimes move him to enrich the color of
brush it on
The foundation
of Castagnet’s
painting rests on
his brushwork,
which incorporates
a wide range of
strokes—from big
open swatches to
skittering narrow
marks. “I always hold the brush at the tip, never close up to
the ferrule,” the artist says. “In watercolor, you can actually say
that less control is more control. By holding the brush farther
back, you get a more beautiful stroke, and the paint looks
better.” Eventually, he points out, an artist will get used to
controlling the brush from the tip of the handle, but the stroke
will retain its movement and sense of energy.
To facilitate the best brushwork, Castagnet decided some
years ago to design and market brushes under his own name.
“Early on, I used to use mop brushes, often Japanese and
Chinese styles,” he says. “Then a friend who ran a big art sup-
ply business in Australia invited me to design better brushes.”
After many prototypes, Castagnet eventually elected to use
high-quality, natural squirrel hair in brushes that deliver every-
thing from broad full washes to delicate pointed strokes. He
also specified a long handle for improved stroke and drag.
To maximize the effect of his brushing style, Castagnet
works at a tripod easel with the painting surface—usually
140-lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper—set way below his eye
level. The easel allows him to change the angle at which the
painting is set. “Early in the painting, I have the paper angled
at about 45 degrees,” he says. “This allows for some dripping
and movement, which is exciting and dynamic.”
Once the painting is underway, Castagnet adjusts the
angle to be flatter, although never quite horizontal. “I prob-
ably get to about 10 or 15 degrees,” he says. “I make it flatter
because I want to establish values and position, but I don’t
want the paint to drip or move.”
a shadow into quite unnatural territory, creating drama and excitement, but also serves to rein-
a whole new level of excitement. “We need to force the moody color of the buildings and the
show our true selves when we paint,” he says. slow light that envelops them.
“A painting has to stand for something. I want
to be an individual, and I don’t think too much The Second Pillar: Shape
about the viewer. It’s a bit like giving a radio Shape, the second of Castagnet’s pillars, is
broadcast; you speak through the ether. To be “fundamental,” says the artist. “I always try
an artist, you have to have integrity and hon- to surprise myself with the choice of shapes.
esty. In some ways, it’s totally self-indulgent.” I usually choose one dominant shape for a
Castagnet’s manipulation of color can be painting, then two medium-sized shapes and
seen in Prague (on page 31), where a city street then several small ones.”
is conjured in a large variety of close grays In arranging them, Castagnet says that he’s
set against a red car rendered with maximum looking for maximum impact and surprise.
saturation. This burst of color not only supplies “There’s no rule of thumb for this design stage,”

“When I’m painting, I’m
able to manipulate
things at will. It’s like
painting poetry.”
he says. “If there was, then you’d lose the

surprise. You have forms, and you have to deal
with them. It’s the total impact of the design
that’s important.”
The success of this approach can be seen in
Vernazza (on page 32), where the most powerful
shape is the dramatic shadow cast by the boat
on the dock. This is reflected in the two smaller
shapes of the sunlit boats in the background,
which are accompanied by smaller shapes of
boats and buildings. This approach creates an
initial sense of focus that’s followed by reflec-
tion and discovery on the part of the viewer.
The Third Pillar: Value

When it comes to his third pillar—value—
Castagnet is focused on creating both light and
drama. He’s partial to views that incorporate
backlighting, which yields strong, silhouetted
shapes and dramatic light. In shadow areas,
he’s particularly attentive to alternating warm
and cool colors, often subtly. “Warm-to-cool
transitions are what give a glow to the washes,”
he says. And when it comes to darks, the artist
isn’t afraid to build deep and full color, a strat- The Bridge
egy that produces spectacular effects. in Barcelona (opposite). The crisp silhouette (watercolor on
paper, 30x22)
In New York Taxis (on pages 32-33), for of the top of the buildings is contrasted with
example, the heavy darks in the background the much softer edges farther back and the Barcelona
(opposite; water-
allow the yellow cabs and their headlights to blurred details of the building façade. Drama
color on paper,
leap forward in the painting, reinforcing the is then created with the hard edge of a market 30x22)
exciting movement of the oncoming vehicles. umbrella in the foreground.
The Fourth Pillar: Edges Capturing Mood and Essence

Castagnet’s final pillar is edges. “Edges are one Castagnet’s four pillars concept is a general
of the priorities in painting,” he says, “but you way of breaking down the thinking part of his
wouldn’t want a rigid painting where all the painting. “There’s no pecking order,” he says.
edges are hard.” He works to soften edges, blur- “These pillars have to work together. I usually
ring and flooding them to lose hardness and select a subject because I like the light. That’s
definition and then sometimes bringing back an my priority. Also, I must like the shapes, and
edge, an approach known as “lost and found.” the subject must have some meaning for me.
“You need a painting that bends,” he says. “It has As for my process, I begin with the shapes.
to have dynamics, and it must have rhythm. This I’m not a fussy drawer.”
is only going to happen if you vary the edges.” Castagnet’s painting process is comprised
In practice, Castagnet’s edges range from of two stages. First, he establishes a dominant
razor sharp to exquisitely soft blends, as seen hue—usually yellow ochre. “That’s to my liking

Genove
because it warms up the painting and keeps the Back to the Studio (watercolor on
paper, 22x30)
light together,” he says. “Then I put some other As for the future of his work, Castagnet clearly
hues into that wash—usually warms and cools would like to make some changes. The artist Johnson St.,
Fitzroy (opposite;
of the same kind of value or slightly darker.” says that his life has become perhaps a bit
watercolor on
In the second stage, Castagnet uses a too full—traveling around the world to give paper, 30x22)
wet-on-dry technique, working on edges and workshops, attending conferences and judging
building color. “I put the dark values in at the art exhibitions.
end—pulling the painting together. I play with He’s considering spending more time to
good brushwork and calligraphy as I go. grow with his own work. “I’d like to think more
“The most important part,” continues as an abstractionist,” Castagnet says. “I want
Castagnet, “is capturing the mood and finding to make paintings with more passion. I want
the essence of the scene, discovering some- to make paintings using fewer colors, perhaps
thing with some sort of important magic to it.” only black and ultramarine blue. I want to cre-
It’s this last ambition that provides the ate mystery, not prettiness. That’s my project.
impetus to paint—and it’s also the one that I need time in the studio for myself.
Castagnet fi nds the most difficult. “The most “A little bit of prestige is good—traveling and
challenging thing is making a painting with so on—but getting to know a lot of people can
passion, flair and emotion that shows gut feel- be challenging. Painting is like meditation,
ing, instinct, and intuition,” he says. “All the like silence.”
technicalities are just vehicles that allow me
to say something. Technique isn’t the chal- JOHN A. PARKS (johnaparks.com) is a painter,
lenge; the challenge is what I’m saying and the a writer and a member of the faculty of the School
way I’m saying it.” of Visual Arts in New York.

smooth
sailing
Judy Saltzman takes to the water—
literally and figuratively—to explore a
lifelong passion in a creative way.
BY A M Y LE I B R O C K
J
Saltzman painted
Potato Field
udy Saltzman’s passion for sailing began “I’m trying to capture emotions and take the
(watercolor on
paper, 25x41) with a when she was just a girl. In a lifetime viewer on a journey or behind the scenes of
masking technique, spent on and near the water, she’s done things about which I’m passionate.”
adding alternate
it all—cruising, racing, teaching youth sailing Although sailing was what originally
layers of warm and
cool colors. programs, hosting regattas and simply “sailing inspired Saltzman to take up painting, her
off into the wild blue yonder.” It wasn’t until subject matter has expanded quickly to
On previous pages:
about 10 years ago, though, that she decided include food, interiors, landscapes, portraits—
To keep the greens
looking fresh and she wanted to express her passion for the all painted from photos of places she’s been
realistic in Usseppa sport through painting. and experiences she’s had. Depending on the
Island (watercolor
Watercolor seemed like a natural fit, so she subject, she builds her paintings in one of two
on paper, 22x30),
Saltzman used began taking classes in Sarasota, Fla., where she ways: When she wants highly saturated colors,
layers of mixed lives. Over the past decade, she has honed her she paints directly out of the tube. Otherwise,
transparent yellow
skills via classes, books, videos and experimen- she uses a wet-into-wet approach, adding
and aureolin
with manganese tation to develop her lively painting style. Using colors in layers with the help of masking fluid.
blue, cobalt blue, shapes and layers of poured color, she builds
permanent blue
paintings that convey depth and movement. Capturing the Action
and indigo.
“I like to use the full scale of values, if I can, In her sailing paintings (see Wet and Wild, on
to give a painting more drama,” says Saltzman. page 42), Saltzman wants the viewer to “feel the
When painting
Living Veranda
wind and taste the salt,” so she puts her- Charting the Course
(watercolor on
self into the action to capture compelling Regardless of the subject matter, Saltzman paper, 30x22),
scenes. “During a regatta, I’ll follow a particu- evaluates the reference photos she takes Saltzman’s chal-
lenge was to paint
lar sailor around the course,” the artist says. to choose images that feature strong value
the greens to
“Something about that person has caught my changes, harmony, interest and movement. evoke the heat
eye. I’ll get right up there and snap a couple She edits the photos on the computer, often of the day and
ensure there were
of photos at different times during the race starting with four or five images, cropping and
plenty of values.
and try to capture what it is I like. In team adjusting each image’s exposure, vibrancy, “Rather than paint
racing, there’s a relationship, a trust that has to color and shape. “I may decide that the whole light to dark, I
started with the
be created between the captain and the crew. tone of the picture is wrong,” she says. “Or, it
darkest values and
That’s one of the reasons I still like to paint may have been a very bright day, and I may then added the
that subject.” want to tone down the saturation.” light to medium,”
she says.
Although she knows it intimately, sailing is She started photo-editing using the basic
a challenging subject to paint because it has Microsoft Office Picture Manager. Today, she
to look realistic. “You can’t have the sails on uses Photoshop and takes most of her photos
the wrong side, you can’t have boats almost using the “raw” setting on her camera. For
tipping over and the water absolutely flat,” architectural images, she uses the program’s
Saltzman says. lens correction filter to adjust the perspective.

design, light intensity and painting method—
either wet-into-wet pouring and layering or
direct brush painting.
Once she works out the drawing, Saltzman
uses a light box to transfer it to Arches 140-lb.
cold-pressed paper.
Building the Layers

At this point, if Saltzman is planning to use a
Saltzman painted Saltzman’s photo-editing process can take lot of water in the painting, she’ll stretch the
the background days or even weeks. To confirm there are surface and staple it onto Gator Board. Then,
of Wet and Wild
(watercolor on enough value changes in an image, she con- she’ll mask out all of the white areas using
paper, 22x30) verts it to grayscale. Once she’s satisfied with Pebeo masking fluid. Once that dries, she’ll
through a process the result, she prints out the black-and-white begin pouring or spattering the paint onto the
of masking and
adding layers wet- image and uses it to make a detailed drawing wet surface.
into-wet. She then on vellum, which she then places over a grid. “It’s a bit of yin and yang as I let the paint
painted the sailors “It’s not very scientific or difficult. I just work flow freely,” she says. “I’ll use basically three
directly. The photo
references (above) each box as I go along,” she says. colors—a blue, a yellow and a red of some
helped her map out Saltzman may not follow the photo exactly, sort—and pour on the colors. If it’s a painting
the painting. but it provides a strong direction. As she of water, I may not use any red at that point, as
draws, she makes critical decisions about I’m just trying to get a really light value.”
The teamwork
As she builds layers, she moves from the light, I’ll add paint before moving to the next in Sisters (water-
color on paper,
lightest to the darkest value to create subtle layer,” she says. “If it’s too dark, it’s time for lots 27x27) caught
visual impact and overall rhythm. Because she of water spraying to take the value down.” Saltzman’s eye.
lives in a humid area, she has to wait at least a When painting water, she uses these value She took refer-
ence photos and
day or so for each layer to dry. With each paint- changes to create the movement. “Marine then cropped her
ing consisting of eight to 10 layers, Saltzman paintings typically have a lot of blue tones favorite one
uses the drying time to critique her progress and are cool in temperature, so it’s helpful to to create the
square format.
and work on other pieces in various stages. add warm tones,” she says. “I move from the
She’ll then evaluate whether the painting lightest value to the darkest to create subtle
needs more warm or cool colors. “Generally, changes, color harmony and complexity.”
the warm colors bring objects forward, and
cooler tones push objects back. If the painting is
becoming too warm in one layer, I’ll use cooler
colors—cobalt blue, purple, indigo or Payne’s
“As I peel the layers off, the
gray—depending on the value stage,” she says.
If she’s concerned about granulation, she’ll
painting reveals itself.
avoid ultramarine blue. “If a layer appears too To me, it’s almost magical.”
Satlzman was
drawn to the archi-
tecture of a food When Saltzman is painting an image for these two methods, pouring all of the light lay-
court lounge at
which bold, vivid darks are important, and she ers first, then removing the masking and laying
an upscale Berlin
department store wants more control over color, she employs down the darks. You can see the results in Wet
for Sky Lounge a dry-brushing method using fresh paint out and Wild and Spirit of the Nations (at right).
(watercolor on
of the tube mixed to a consistency of milk or
paper, 24x26).
cream. For large shapes, she’ll use more water The Big Reveal
across the paper and mix with other colors If Saltzman is in doubt about what colors to
directly. Recently, she has started combining use, she refers back to color-mixing charts she’s
Saltzman received
permission from an
made over the years. “Whenever I purchase a green. I’ve just never found something I really elder of a Native
American tribe to
new color, the first thing I do is test the color like. With all of the yellows and blues out there, be part of the inner
systematically by creating a chart,” she says. I find that I can come up with something that circle at a powwow
in Tennessee. She
“I’ll have that paint mixed with others to deter- looks much more realistic.”
photographed the
mine whether it pushes paint away or pulls it in, As the painting builds, Saltzman continues experience, which
and to observe what properties it has.” masking each layer; by the end, she doesn’t resulted in Spirit
of the Nations
She finds this approach particularly helpful really know what she has. “As I peel the layers (watercolor on
when painting greens. “I never use a premixed off, the painting reveals itself,” she says. “To paper, 41x25).

Reminiscent
(watercolor on
me, it’s almost magical. In some cases, I have to watercolor paper, I’m always trying to say, well,
paper, 29x21) is
part of a series go back and add some water and color because maybe we can,” says Saltzman. Lately, she’s
Saltzman started the masking has flattened the fibers of the worked out a compromise by doing triptychs,
during the 2016
paper, but they truly come alive.” which in total measure up to 99 inches in width.
election season.
Another finishing method Saltzman uses is
Saltzman used
10 layers of paint
Pushing the Boundaries to mount her work on wood; she did this with
in Back in Time Saltzman often explores subjects in depth Serve It Up and Almost Calorie Free (opposite).
(center; watercolor through series. During the chaos of the 2016 First, she paints wood boards and sprays the
on paper, 30X22)
election season, she searched for something paper with an archival spray. When it dries,
for a glazed effect,
mimicking the that would feel calming to paint. What resulted she attaches the paper to the wood, sprays it
appearance of was a dreamy, nostalgic series of interiors that again and then varnishes it on the wood. This
looking through
includes Reminiscent and Back in Time (above). method frees her up to paint much larger.
a window.
She also likes creating large pieces, but
watercolors aren’t typically done at that scale. Returning to Port
“When someone says, you can’t do that with Saltzman recently was awarded signature
member status in the American Society of
Marine Artists, an honor that brings her full
circle. “I’ve taken something that I’ve done my
entire life, and now I’m able to present it on
paper and give the viewer that experience,”
the artist says.
Breaking with
Sailing has given Saltzman more than just “Now I do the same thing when painting. tradition, Serve
prestige and exciting subject matter from I’ll ask myself, does this painting need more It Up (watercolor
which to draw. The confidence and gut-trust- dark values? Does it need more punch? Or, is it on paper, 12x12)
is mounted on
ing instincts she learned from navigating the time to stop? I trust my intuition to say, Well, if a wood board
water have informed her painting life. “When I’m asking those questions, then those are ‘yes’ instead of matted
I’d go sailing and see a dark cloud, I’d say, answers.” and framed, as is
Almost Calorie Free
I wonder if that’s a storm? Should I reduce the (bottom; watercolor
sail? I knew from experience that if I was ask- AMY LEIBROCK is a Cincinnati-based freelance on paper, 20x20).
ing the question, the answer was ‘yes.’ writer and content strategist.

The luminous works of Igor Sava capture not
just the sites but also the mood and character
of some of the world’s greatest cities.
BY A N N E H E V E N E R
A Memory of Place

I
gor Sava was born in Moldova, an Eastern
European country that was formally part
of the Soviet Union. For the last 20 years,
however, the artist has made his home in
Rome, where a regular supply of sunshine has
cultivated a fascination for capturing light in
watercolor. Whether it’s a romantic fountain,
a charming piazza or a Renaissance church,
Sava’s new homeland has supplied endless
inspiration for paint and brush.
Sava also has traveled the world, taking
his painting kit on the road to other inspiring
cities, among them Paris, Barcelona and Saint
Left to right:
Petersburg. Wherever he goes, the artist’s aim in Italy, a very sunny country, for 20 years. For Venezia, San
is the same: to paint a scene that stirs the me, this is a fundamental part of my motiva- Marco (watercolor
on paper, 21½x9)
memory, evoking the character of a city and tion to search for light.
the power of place. Angoli di Popoli
Bollarò (watercolor
Sava traveled to eight different countries You draw viewers into your work and lead them on paper, 14¼x20)
last year to lead 12 watercolor workshops. We around with carefully placed pops of color. Can you
On previous pages:
caught him at home long enough to answer talk about that technique?
Popolo Square,
these questions about his artistic practice. By placing objects and characters on the “stage,” Rome (13¾x21¼)
the watercolor becomes part of the history of
The quality of light in your work is mesmerizing. the piece. I can add to or remove color from
What’s your secret? these characters and, by doing so, shift interest.
I don’t have any special techniques. I think all Imagine a monochromatic picture and a dot of
artists become connected to a place. I’ve lived color; by creating this conflict, that point in the

painting the light
1 2
3 4
In the develop-
ment of Sicilian
Landscape
(watercolor on
paper, 15x22),
one can see the
attention Sava
gives to value
and contrast as
a way to build
dramatic light.
A mix of soft and
hard edges also
adds interest to
the scene.
Moscow (36x51)
painting becomes very important. Sometimes How does your process differ when working on site
you can create a visual game inside the picture, versus in the studio?
moving the viewer’s eye. Photography is two-dimensional; it doesn’t
allow you to see the color, the smell, the noise,
Tell us about your approach to color and value. the proportions and many other things. When
I love observing a scene. In analyzing every I paint a landscape, for me, it’s important to be
detail, I see thousands of colors and the rela- in that place, even if only for a short time. In
tionships between them. And all of this, I’d the studio, we have the situation under control.
love to bring onto the paper. Despite all of that, Lights and shadows don’t move. The wind and
however, it’s the tonal value that is, for me, far rain doesn’t bother us. We have the opportu-
more important than the color, so I prioritize nity to take a coffee break. We can stop and
the tonal value. continue working later. When working in the
studio, we lose concentration, but we get the
You do a lot of plein air work. How often do you work technical experience.
from photos in the studio?
I often make a fast sketch en plein air, and How do you find your painting subjects?
then continue the painting back in the studio. In the past, I sought out very specific subjects,
I think that both practices are important. but with the passing of time, I’ve come to
When painting en plein air, there’s a direct understand more and more that every sub-
relationship between the artist and nature. ject is worth admiring and is worthy of being
Everything is more complicated when you’re painted. I’ve also found that very often the
working on location, for many reasons, but subject chooses you.
there’s so much opportunity for learning from
the challenge. What is it about watercolor that particularly appeals
For the most part, the painting I do inside to you? Do you ever use other media?
the studio serves to refine my technique, which When you have a clear idea of what you want to
is also important. get, you can achieve great results in watercolor.

Timisoara
(watercolor on
I may sometimes paint with acrylics or oils you need more words or more details, but
paper, 20x8)
on canvas, but the techniques for these media other times, all you need is a gesture to help
Barcelona (water-
color on paper,
seem like a little dog listening to everything I someone understand.
25x20) order him to do. Watercolor, on the other hand,
is like a cat. To get a good result, I have to find Do you use transparent watercolor only, or do you
the balance between me, as an artist, and the also use opaque colors? If you use opaque color,
cat that I can’t completely control. When we where and why?
learn to have patience, we learn to find balance. The great quality of watercolor, compared
We learn to play and express ourselves. to other media, is its transparency. I prefer
transparent watercolor, but you could choose
How does your style of application play a role in your semi-transparent or opaque colors based on the
creative expression? elements you want to create—sky and clouds,
Drawing and painting can be compared to a water and boat, trees and figures, etc. Or, you
language. To express your idea, sometimes could choose one with respect to the other
constructing a cityscape
1 2
3 4
After working out
a composition for
Venice (watercolor
on paper, 15x22)
and making the
line drawing,
Sava begins with
complementary
tones in the sky
and earthy tones in
the foreground. He
continues to build
the painting, add-
ing detail and a few
juicy bits of color.

based on the visual perspective. Using trans-
parent colors creates the illusion of entering
artist’s toolkit inside the picture.
Paper: Recently Is there another artist who has had an influence on

I started using your painting style?
Arches 300-lb. rough About 15 years ago, when I fi rst started paint-
paper, but I also use ing the landscapes of Rome, I discovered the
Fabriano Artistico beautiful works of watercolorist Ettore Roesler
and Saunders Franz. For some time, I tried to follow his
Waterford. The for- every brushstroke, attempting to understand
mat I use most often the reason behind each stroke. Afterward, I
is 15x22 inches, a discovered many other great artists whose
half sheet, or 30x22 work I loved, and I tried to learn something
inches, a full sheet. from each. For days I was immobile in front of
the computer, looking for new artists on the
Brushes: I prefer internet. At some point, I came to understand
natural hair brushes one thing: The more you look at others, the
and the Chinese less there is to say.
calligraphic brushes,
in particular. But in my set of brushes, you also can find the Are there other lessons you’ve learned over the years
classic brush or even a synthetic. that have influenced how you work?
Another important lesson is not to be afraid.
Paint and Palette: I use an aluminum palette and tube water- Try to experience more and more. To really be
colors from many brands: Daniel Smith, Mijello, Schmincke, successful, we must devote ourselves fully to
Sennelier, White Night, M. Graham and Winsor & Newton. what we do.
—Igor Sava
ANNE HEVENER is the editor-in-chief of Watercolor
Artist and Pastel Journal.
Clockwise from
opposite:
Laguna Blue
(15x22)
Paris (watercolor
on paper, 15x20)
The Perfect Day

(watercolor on
paper, 15¼x23¼)

Every winter, we look forward to putting together this
feature of the year’s best paintings. Of course, “best” is
subjective, but one way a painting earns that distinction
is to stand out in competition. So, we turn to art
societies—from the West Coast to the East Coast, Florida
to Canada—to bring our attention to some of North
America’s celebrated watercolor paintings of 2017.
The Year’s
Best
Paintings
BY M C K E NZ I E G R A H A M
MISSOURI “My oldest daughter, Neve, was

WATERCOLOR the inspiration for this piece.
SOCIETY She’s been my graceful muse for
Ali Cavanaugh
many years.
Ste. Genevieve, Mo. “Neve is poised and reserved,
and in this composition, I was
Brightness Burning
on the Heart Within
able to catch her in direct
(watercolor on profile. A striking diagonal was
Aquaboard, 24x30) created with her downcast head
and hand placement. The two
primary elements in my work are
“I wanted to give an bold compositions paired with
award to this particular a delicate application of paint.
piece because it I had hoped to achieve a sense
of elegance, beauty, thoughtful-
exhibits a broad
ness and intimacy.
range of techniques, “Payne’s gray is always the
skillful handling and foundation of my limited palette.
interesting subject For skin tones, I use Indian yel-
matter: the gesture; low, cadmium red light, and a
mix of sap green and perylene
the angle or position
maroon. Neve’s hair is painted
of the body; powerful, with that same mixture, with
stunning color; and a additions of burnt umber, raw
large area of negative umber, burnt sienna and sepia.
space. Paintings “It’s been a challenge to find
watercolor societies that will
like this one aren’t
allow my preferred surface since
forgotten but remain in it’s nontraditional. In winning
one’s mind a long time.” this award, I felt excited for the
–DONGFENG LI, JUROR progress of the medium.”

FLORIDA
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Dean Mitchell
Tampa, Fla.
Carrie Mae (watercolor on
paper, 20x15)
“Carrie Mae has been a

friend of my family’s since
before I was born. She
was one of my mother’s
professors at Florida A&M
University in Tallahassee.
The college is about 22
miles away from the small
rural town of Quincy, Fla.,
where my maternal grand-
mother raised me.
“Carrie Mae became one
of my mother’s mentors
and beyond. In fact, she
treated my mother like a
daughter, often taking her
to places she never could
have afforded. She’s a kind,
brilliant human being. She’s
SOCIETY OF
97 now, and was born in
WATERCOLOR
Boston. She graduated
ARTISTS
“Carrie Mae is a masterful example of design, from A&M as valedictorian
Xi De Liu in 1941 and received her
Hong Kong foresight and capability possessed by very
master’s from Columbia
Sounds of few contemporary artists. The muted colors in 1945. She got her Ph.D.
Inspiration are utilized with a delicacy and deftness of from Iowa State University
(watercolor on brushstrokes that emphasize the sense of in 1958.
paper, 30x22)
dignified tranquility that clearly indicates “Carrie Mae’s mother
owned a hotel in the
the subject is a character of strong positive
Boston area for 35 years
influence in the artist’s life. The subject’s pose called ‘The Mother’s Lunch.’
at the edge of her chair and the slight lean of It was one of the few—if
her head suggest a natural listener, reinforced not the only hotel—where
“Surprise them. by her face, with its somber expression, and her African-Americans could
JUROR TIP stay. The list of people who
It’s as simple as clasped hands. If the painting could speak to me,
stayed there is a ‘Who’s
that, but not so easy in execution. it would say ‘wisdom.’ Who’ in American culture—
Find a way to speak to your “One thing that caught my attention was the Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James,
audience in your own voice. Look for little bit of red nail polish. Once I saw that bit of Billie Holiday, Sam Davis,
ways to compose a familiar subject red, the muted tones of the seat and wooden Mary McLeod Bethune and
in a way that’s all your own. Most many others. She’s talked
furniture began to reveal a repetition of the
about her sister doing
importantly, the piece should tell a same color placed throughout the image. Ella Fitzgerald’s hair just
story. I tell my workshop groups and “Viewing Carrie Mae at 20 feet reveals an before she went on stage
anyone who will listen: Do you want abstract; at 10, the figure becomes obvious; at to perform.
to be a cover band or write your five, the jewels come alive; and at one, I could “I’m overwhelmed with
own music? My answer is always the award and being able
sit for some time looking at brushstrokes, edge
to share with the world a
the latter. That, and never let a control, and all the facets that make this one to truly great American whose
pencil line tell you where to put your be walked around and enjoyed again and again.” life is deeply woven into the
brush.” –IAIN STEWART –IAIN STEWART, JUROR fabric of American culture.”
CALIFORNIA
WATERCOLOR
ASSOCIATION
Laurie Goldstein-Warren
NORTHERN
Buckhannon, W.V.
PLAINS
Glass on Glass on Fabric WATERCOLOR
(watercolor on paper, 30x22)
SOCIETY
Sharon Grey
“Painting glass in watercolor Rapid City, S.D.
makes for a unique set of
Icarus Falling Now
challenges, beginning with (watercolor on
the importance of seeing paper, 28x36)
the various reflections and
refraction in the glass and
drawing them accurately.
The challenge and beauty
of glass rendered in a
transparent medium like
watercolor inspires me.
“When I composed this
painting, I wanted to use
the taller glass pieces;
after setting up the still
life, I realized it needed a
horizontal element, so I
introduced the fabric with
its more organic design.
The scarf was a gift from a
friend and fellow watercol-
orist, Jayson Yeoh.
“Most of my works are
painted from dark to light.
The first dark wash covered
the background, as well as
the darkest values within
the glass pieces. I did this
by masking off any lighter
values and areas where I
wanted to maintain pure
color.
“My usual palette is
quinacridone gold and
quinacridone rose by
Daniel Smith, and cobalt
blue and Antwerp blue
from Winsor & Newton. THE CANADIAN
Over the years, I’ve been SOCIETY OF
able to create any value PAINTERS
and color from this palette.” IN WATER
COLOUR
“Glass on Glass on Inge Kjeldgaard
Fabric possesses a Tajik
Mississauga,
fanciful, magical quality. Ontario, Canada
The artist masterfully The Earthy Traveler
captures the effects of (watercolor on
light on glass, and we’re paper, 24x36)
mesmerized. The sparkling

highlights contrast with
deep, rich darks. The
luminous, complementary
color scheme and
skillful composition are “Enter your most personal,
JUROR TIP
beautifully orchestrated in unique, imaginative,
this powerful watercolor.” creatively designed and well-put-together
–DONNA ZAGOTTA, JUROR paintings.” –DONNA ZAGOTTA

SOUTH CAROLINA
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Lynn Schilling
Fort Mill, S.C.
Distracted (watercolor
on paper, 14½x18)
GEORGIA
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Mel Stabin
Park Ridge, N.J.
Good Morning in South
Carolina (watercolor on
paper, 15x22)
TRANSPARENT
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY OF
AMERICA
June Webster
Cheshire, Conn.
Morning in Paris (water-
color on paper, 35x29)
“My painting was

inspired by the view
from my hotel balcony
in Paris near the
Luxembourg Gardens.
Early one morning,
I was struck by how
quiet the city was and
how the trees along
the park, the poles
and the lone cyclist
cast such beautifully
defined shadows
across the painted
lines on the street.
I wanted to capture
that feeling of calm, as
well as the color and
value changes created
by the shadows.
“My background
is in the commercial
printing industry,
where everything is
reproduced with just
a few ink colors. Using
masking film and
working in a dark-to-
light progression, the
colors in my painting
were created with mul-
tiple washes of rose,
yellow and blue paint.
The scene almost
composed itself. The
only changes I made
to the picture were
to crop it tightly and
shorten the space to
create more overlap-
ping shapes.”
“In Morning in Paris, the biker is headed off, but where? Why aren’t there any other people around
on such a nice day? Everything is still except the cyclist. There’s almost a surreal quality to the
image. By simplifying the image and illuminating the subject, the basic design and divisions of
space are balanced and keep the viewer’s eye moving. It’s a well-designed and evocative image
that makes one feel a sense of being alone within a city full of people.” –JEAN PEDERSON, JUROR
“I enjoy strong imagery with great content. This painting is

JUROR TIP
skillfully painted with good technique and an understanding of
the basic elements and principles of design. Most artists strive to communicate an
idea that engages the viewer in a visual dialogue; therefore, the image should be
compelling and elicit a response.” –JEAN PEDERSON

AMERICAN
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Cathy Hegman
Holly Bluff, Miss.
Insomniacs Dreamboats
(acrylic on paper, 25x19)
“My paintings are

always about my
life or some aspect
of my life. I don’t
work from models or
photos—just from my
imagination. Insomniacs
Dreamboats is
inspired by my
constant bouts of
insomnia. I’ve done a
long-running series
of paintings called
‘Insomniacs’ with
which I try to convey
the feeling of needing
to do something but
being unable to.
“I rely on thumbnail
sketches to determine
all of my compositions.
I’m never without a
sketchpad; it enables
me to work through
an idea and work out
the values and place-
ments that will best
transmit my thoughts.
I’m always looking for
dynamic ways to place
a figure in my work.
“I chose a more
muted palette.
I wanted the painting
to be soft and dreamy,
but I also wanted it
to have a sense of
impact, so I chose to
emphasize the values
more than the palette.
“This is the
greatest honor I’ve
ever received in
my art career. I’ve
watched so many
of my peers receive
“Insomniacs Dreamboats is a painting of symbols this award and have
only dreamed about
expressing the feelings of an insomniac. Stars represent
receiving it myself—
the night. There are sheep, ships passing and a fantastical no pun intended.”
hairpiece, which could represent a cloud or the dark night.
The painting possesses good graphic qualities, strong
vertical and horizontal movement, contrasts light and
dark values, and has good color and competent technique.
Plus, it captures and conveys a message beyond surface
appearance that we all can relate to.” –ANTONIO MASI, JUROR
“When I jury a show, the paintings with a strong impact always stand out. In subsequent scroll
JUROR TIP
throughs, I look for the qualities of a good piece of art—composition, value and contrasts. All the while,
I do look for what the artist is trying to say and how well the message comes through. Then, of course, jurors can’t help
but be subjective, to a point. Certain paintings just speak to us.” –CHRIS KRUPINSKI
WEST VIRGINIA “Summer’s Reflection “My first two watercolor “This painting is so dynamically
WATERCOLOR depicts a couple of persim- sets were given to me in strong. Design and composition
SOCIETY mons that I picked in a park college. My mother gave are important to me as an
Sidra Kaluszka
while walking with my in- me an old one she never
artist, and this piece displays
Radford, Va. laws, and some purple basil used, and I later inher-
from my mother’s garden. ited my grandmother’s great composition. There’s a
Summer’s
Reflection
I constantly seek new watercolors. Since then I’ve wonderful use of contrasts:
(watercolor on challenges; in this case the replaced some of the colors value, temperature, shapes, and
paper, 19x25) challenge was to incorpo- with others that have better hard and soft edges. Although
rate the mirror on top of light-fastness, but I still use
it’s a realistic painting, it has a
which the fruit is placed. a slightly limited palette.
I was interested in “The past few years I’ve nice abstract feel to it.”
capturing the interaction worked hard to increase my –CHRIS KRUPINSKI, JUROR
between the subjects, the skill set, as well as home in
mirror and light. The reflec- on a style and expressive
tion is positioned in a way voice. Summer’s Reflection
that doesn’t give the viewer has been accepted into
a straightforward view. several shows on the East
I painted the focal Coast; however, it’s also
point off center, with received its fair share
lines weaving in and out, of rejection letters. It’s
because it invites the eye truly gratifying to have my
to explore. work appreciated.”

WYOMING
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
“As a judge, I check for design principles and elements, but for Michael Holter
JUROR TIP Plano, Texas
award-winning art, I look for even more than that. I ask myself
Stairway to ...
whether the artist tried his best to explore creativity—to put his personal mark in
(watercolor on
his work. Usually that’s what speaks to me.” –KEIKO TANABE paper, 20x16)
NORTHWEST “My youngest daughter is a colorist. I wanted the piece “This work caught my attention
WATERCOLOR professional ballet dancer, to be dynamic and bold, with its bold use of colors and
SOCIETY and I grew to love the art with confident brushwork, brushwork that’s both unique
Bev Jozwiak
form. I helped out a lot so I kept the number of
and evocative. I gave the work
Vancouver, Wash. around her dance studio— colors I used to a minimum
everything from designing for the other qualities to a high point in design elements
Backstage
Adjustments
tutus to making tiaras—and shine through. and composition. While Jozwiak
(watercolor on painted four 20x40-foot “I’ve always been one to employs a variety of traditional
paper, 22x30) backdrops. My ballet paint- set goals. As I check them techniques and knowledge of
ings are always near and off my list, I think up new
art, it’s also evident she’s not
dear to my heart. ones to take their place.
“Dancers are extremely I’ve won numerous awards, afraid to push the envelope of
close to one another but never a best-of-show watermedia, which I admire
because they spend so award in a big interna- immensely. As a result, her
much time together, and tional show. This summer work looks pleasing from an
dance is intimate. I wanted Watercolor Artist put me
academic point of view, but
this piece to convey that on the cover of the maga-
closeness and willingness zine, so that was another also has an edgy, modern
to help each other. goal checked off my list. appeal.” –KEIKO TANABE, JUROR
“I think of myself more The prize money doesn’t
as a value painter than a hurt, either.”
“Winning this award is a and use the other colors to Walk, passing from dark-
wonderful honor, because augment the purity, warm- ness into light.
Family Walk was submitted ness and coolness of the “At first, it appeared as
among others painted by original two I’ve chosen. a mass of confusion and
my peers, and the artists This way, I can control the excitement, so I exagger-
in this show are some of values in my painting. ated the smallness of the
NORTH EAST the best in the world. “Normally my composi- figures into this massive
WATERCOLOR “My palette is laid out tions are suggested by the state of confusion and
SOCIETY with about 16 colors, but real-life scene before me— tried to bring order into it.
Antonio Masi I tend to select two that texture, chain-link fences, I was thinking of a colorful
Garden City, N.Y. will set the mood. I explore graffiti, and figures, like quilted blanket; it has many
Family Walk (watercolor value combinations I can the tiny ones silhouetted patterns, but, at the same
on paper, 37x44) create with my two picks, under the arch in Family time, it’s still one unit.”
NATIONAL
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Carolyn Latanision
Winchester, Mass.
Flanges Bethlehem Steel
(watercolor on paper,
20x20)

PENN STATE
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Ron Thurston
Coraopolis, Penn.
609 Main (watercolor on
paper, 29x34)
“The white staircase

in 609 Main is one of
my dog’s designated
stops on our daily
walks. The house
nearby also made the
cut. I couldn’t resist
including it, but the
real one is white and
situated too far away.
“Experimenting
with value choices,
I decided to make
the house blue and
black as a support to
the black dog. Milton
Avery was my color
muse. It’s his unusual
color combinations
that inspire me.
“Archie, my dog,
often gets in the way
when I’m trying to take
a photo, so he gets
included in the com-
position by default,
although rarely is a
composition “ready to
go” as seen in a refer-
ence photo.
“I transplanted the
house to line up with
the steps in one of my
thumbnail sketches.
Where it had been too
far away before, now
it seemed just right.
The flowering tree was
from my imagination.
“Winning this
award means it’s OK
to trust my instincts
and continue paint-
ing whatever I want,
however I want.”

SPRINGFIELD “I was preparing paper for stage I paint with reckless secondary colors for the
ART MUSEUM another piece using dour abandon, employing spat- joy of opening a new box of
color and dark, depressing tering, salt and isopropyl crayons. Colors transition
Brenda Benson
Monroe City, Mo. neutrals in shades of brown alcohol. For Purely Spectral, gently from one to another
and gray. Suddenly I felt I painted sheets of paper with analogous hues.
Purely Spectral
the need to cast off that in different values of the “I’ve entered—and
(watercolor on
paper on matboard, burden and do something same or similar colors. been rejected from—this
30x36) bright and joyful. I thumbed I cut the paper into rect- competition for years.
through my sketchbooks angles, then scored and I almost gave up, but I
until I found something that folded them into squares. knew that this particular
“One of the central reasons that the would celebrate the joy Meanwhile, I painted mat show valued nontraditional
that color can bring, and board with acrylics in the approaches to watercolor,
Springfield Art Museum created
settled on a rough sketch design I had worked out in so I persisted. When I
Watercolor USA was to recognize of a quilt. A quilt and an my sketchbook. read the email informing
innovation in the use of watercolor. open box of new crayons “Taking a folded me that I had not one,
As this year’s juror, I was delighted were my inspiration. square of the painted but two pieces accepted
to find an artist who conceived of “My process begins by paper, I used scissors or into this prestigious show,
painting 90-lb. Fabriano paper punches to cut a I was thrilled! But when
a watercolor painting not confined
watercolor paper on random design and then I later received the email
to two dimensions, but rather that both sides with a variety glued it down to its spot about the top award—well,
uses multiple pieces of paper.” of professional-grade on the matboard grid. I I jumped up and did a
–LAURIN MCCRACKEN, JUROR tube watercolors. At this chose bright primary and happy dance.”
SOUTHWESTERN
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Ingrid Albrecht
Chicago, Ill.
And Off to The Park We Go
(watercolor on paper,
20x26)
SOUTHERN
WATERCOLOR
SOCIETY
Susan Stuller
Midlothian, Va.
Surely You Jest (water-
color on paper, 21x29)
“An artist must have a fresh idea, created using the highest standards of technical
JUROR TIP
excellence. A competition painting should have a strong, instant impact on the
viewer. If it takes several seconds for the juror to register its impact, it probably won’t be selected.
Also, take photos with clarity and precision.” –LAURIN MCCRACKEN

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Watercolor essentials BY GEOFF KER SE Y
A Wintry Mood
Depending on your color palette, a snow scene can
have a frosty feel or a warm glow.
E
Palette, light and perspective are key to
creating a successful snow scene in Winter
ver since I began painting because I’m attracted to the simpli-
in Padley George (watercolor on paper). watercolor landscapes more than fying effect of the white cloak across
25 years ago, I’ve enjoyed painting the landscape. I like the way the sky
snow scenes. I think this is partly colors are echoed through the thin

r l r l
shadows and the contrast between many a wintry landscape, but other me right at my doorstep. I live in the
the snow and the rich winter darks factors come into play—including pal- UK’s Derbyshire Dales, on the edge
of trees and hedgerows. ette selection, light and perspective. of the Peak District National Park.
We all know that snow appears Here I share three palettes—cold, I particularly enjoy painting in the
white, but as you can see from limited and warm—that I use to areas featuring the remnants of the
the following examples, there are establish the foundation for a snowy Industrial Age of the 19th and early-
numerous techniques and color scene, as well as how I use light and 20th centuries, which have since
schemes you can use to depict its perspective to further the ambience. been softened by nature.
effect in your paintings. Cromford Canal in Winter (above) is
Cold Palette a good example of this type of subject.
Pick Your Palette I’m fortunate to have some excellent I took the reference photo on a par-
Snow, of course, sets the scene for painting subjects ready to inspire ticularly cold New Year’s Day walk.
r l r l
Cool Palette: I used phthalo blue, which
is greener and cooler than my usual sky
choice, to create a sense of damp, cold
mist in Cromford Canal in Winter (oppo-
site; watercolor on paper).
Limited Palette: A quartet of colors—

cobalt blue, neutral tint, burnt sienna and
raw sienna—in Chatsworth Park (right;
watercolor on paper) lends a harmonious
feeling to the painting.
I was so inspired by the scene that

I couldn’t wait to get into the studio;
I created the painting the next day.
I chose a cold palette featuring
plenty of wintry grays and darks,
substituting my usual choice of
cobalt blue for phthalo blue, which is
a slightly greener, cooler blue. This
produced a cool gray when mixed
with a touch of burnt umber. I used
this gray as a thin wash in the sky
and as a slightly stronger wash in
the background to hint at the distant,
misty shapes of the trees.
When I took the photo, the sun
was setting, creating a soft pink glow,
which I re-created by mixing Naples
yellow and a bit of rose madder.
Next, I put a touch of a slightly
warmer color—an orange made from
raw sienna and burnt sienna—at
the point where we lose sight of the
river as it disappears around the
bend. This little splash of color leads
the viewer’s eye into the scene, and
is helped by the cluster of figures
hunched against the cold wind.
To create the dark brown in the
silhouetted trees on the right, I mixed
burnt umber and French ultrama-
rine. To make the ivy-clad tree on
the left, I used a rich dark green mix
of phthalo blue and burnt umber.
Even though they’re both repre-
sentative of cold winter days, this
Cooler colors in the background help create
painting has a colder feel than much of the detail to silhouettes. the sense of distance in Looking Down to
Woodland Path (on page 81), which When tackling a subject like this, I Rowlsey (watercolor on paper).
relies more on slightly warmer colors always use a limited palette. Here I’ve
for its welcome glow. used just four colors: cobalt blue, neu- sky with clean water, leaving just a
tral tint, burnt sienna and raw sienna. small circle of clean, dry paper. I then
Limited Palette This bare-bones palette gives the concentrated the raw sienna around
In this scene at Chatsworth Park (top) scene a simple, harmonious feeling. it during the painting stage.
just a few miles from where I live, I’m To suggest looking into a milky, To achieve the “overexposed”
looking into the light, which reduces weak sun, I dampened the entire appearance of the branches with

r l r l
winter woodland
Step 1: I began by drawing the out-
lines of the scene using a 2B pencil,
taking care not to make the lines
too dark. During this pre-painting
stage, I often fade the lines for
the most distant parts of the scene
by gently going over them with a
putty rubber.
Step 2: This is very much a wet-

into-wet stage. I began by mixing
a selection of colors: a very thin
wash of aureolin; thin washes of
vermilion and cobalt blue; a slightly
1 2
thicker gray mixed from cobalt blue
and vermilion, with a touch of burnt
sienna; and a rich, dark green of
a much thicker consistency made
from viridian, French ultramarine
and burnt sienna.
I wet the entire background,
except for the path, with clean
water, using a 1-inch flat brush.
I then put in the washes with a No.
16 round brush.
It’s vital at this stage to leave the
color very light at the point where
the path bends out of view, so that
later on, this bright light leads the
viewer’s eye along the path. I left
the path itself as untouched paper,
apart from the foreground, which
3 4
I tinted with a thin wash of vermil-
ion and a hint of the aureolin wash. I painted the larger trees in the on the nearest/widest trees, I used
middle distance using a rich dark the fine point of the No. 2 to paint
Step 3: I put in the winter trees brown mixed from burnt sienna the fine branches.
using the gray mix. I strengthened and French ultramarine. I painted
this color gradually by adding more the distant trees with a No. 2 round Step 4: I always think it’s a good
paint, as the trees progress from brush, switching to a No. 4 for the idea to mix shadow color from the
the distance to the middle distance. wider, nearer trees; however, even same blue as used in the sky to
r l r l
give the painting cohesion and con-

tinuity. I mixed a thin wash of cobalt
blue for the shadows and brushed
them in, starting at the distant
part of the path, and gradually
increased the width of the stroke
as I proceeded to the foreground.
In a scene like this, shadows
are a great way to describe to the
viewer the contours of the land-
scape; for instance, note how the
shadows cross the path, describ-
ing the slope of the banks and the
slight dip in the middle. I slightly
increased the density of the wash
for the shadows in the foreground,
but not by too much, as it was
essential that the shadow washes
be transparent.
It’s interesting to see how the
vermilion wash, already on the
paper, warms the color of the blue
glazed over it. This helps create the
feeling of distance, as warm colors
come forward and cool colors
recede—a rule that’s always worth
keeping in mind.
Final: Using three quite strong

mixtures—a purple-gray mixed from
cobalt blue and vermilion; more
of the burnt sienna and French
ultramarine dark brown mixture;
and a rusty brown color made from
aureolin and burnt sienna—I placed
the colors on both sides of the path.
I used the side of a well-worn No. 4
round brush to create the broken,
irregular shapes that suggest foli-
age protruding through the snow. this among the foliage on the gouache, used carefully and
The final touch was to drybrush banks and here and there on the sparingly, added another dimen-
a bit of white gouache onto the tree trunks and branches to sug- sion to Woodland Path (watercolor
dark green bushes. I repeated gest a light frosting of snow. The on paper).

r l r l
Warm Palette: Winter in Halldale Woods

(watercolor on paper) relies on raw sienna
the sun behind them, I painted mixture used on the distant trees
and cadmium red to provide warmth.
them as I normally would; however, adds to the feeling of receding space.
once they were dry, I brushed over
them with clean water before dab- Warm Palette painting proves that just because
bing them with a tissue until they Winter in Halldale Woods (above), it’s a winter scene, it doesn’t have to
faded. This technique required a while still a winter scene, is mark- make the viewer shiver.
light touch, because I didn’t want to edly different from Chatsworth Park, There’s an overarching linear
overdo things and completely wash in that the color is much warmer. perspective in this rural winter-
them away. The painting is suffused with a scape—from the distant meadow
The strong use of linear perspec- warm afternoon glow, which I made and fence posts on the left, to the
tive—not just the trees but also the by combining raw sienna and cad- path and its ruts in the center, to
shadows—leads the viewer into mium red. This color is then echoed the foliage on the right. All of these
the painting. The small silhouetted on the light side of the tree trunks elements lead the viewer to the
figures add a touch of narrative on the right and in the dry-stone focal point where the path disap-
and scale, and the weaker, grayer wall on the left of the path. This pears out of view.
ar tist’s marketplace
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MARJORIE GLICK WATERCOLOR WORKSHOPS Call for Entries

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EXHIBITION ART WORKSHOPS 2018
See website for dates and info:
www.marjorieglick.com May to August 2018 MEXICO-San Miguel de Allende
Kenosha Public Museum, WI Judy Morris, Betty Carr, Don Andrews
SWITZERLAND June 2018
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE
OVER $20,000 in CASH AWARDS Mel Stabin-WC
TO ADVERTISE IN THE NE X T ISSUE Entry Deadline January 31, 2018 SANTA BARBARA April 2018
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Mary McLane: 970/290-6065 www.CallForEntry.org or BALI-Ken Goldman August 2018
Carol Lake: 385/414-1439 through TWSA at watercolors.org
FlyingColorsArt.com 858-518-0949

https://client.smarterentry.com/sal. Juror: Sabina Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS
Call For Entries Turner. Prospectus: www.stocktonartleague.org.
Inquiries: stocktonartleague@gmail.com. Type
5/17-5/19/18, Auburn.
Alabama Watercolor Society workshop.
“Haggin 2018” in subject line.
D E A D L I N E : JA N UA RY 12 , 2 018 ARIZONA
Watercolor Art Society-Houston 41st Annual Juried D E A D L I N E : A P R I L 15 , 2 018
International Watermedia Exhibition, March 4 - The Woodson Art Museum is accepting submissions Jan Sitts
April 5, 2018. Houston, TX. $7,000 total cash awards, to the annual juried Birds in Art exhibition, September AS OTHER ART ORGANIZATIONS CONTACT ME, I WILL
$2,000 1st prize. Juror/Demo: Iain Stewart. 8 - November 25, 2018. All works must interpret birds POST PROPOSED DATES FOR UPCOMING CLASSES.
713/942-9966, iwewash@gmail.com or visit and related subject matter. Processing fee: $55 for 5/7-5/9/18, Sedona. Sedona Arts Center.
www.watercolorhouston.org one entry; $65 for two entries. Postmark and online 11/5-11/7/18, Sedona. Sedona Arts Center.
submission deadline for entry form, digital image, Contact: Debbie, 928/282-3809
D E A D L I N E : JA N UA RY 14 , 2 018 and processing fee April 15, 2018. For prospectus/ Eric Wiegardt, AWS-DF, NWS
Northwest Watercolor Society’s 78th Annual entry form, visit www.lywam.org/2018-prospectus; call
International Open Exhibition. Exhibit dates: April 16 2/12-2/16/18, Scottsdale.
715/845-7010; email museum@lywam.org or write 700 Wiegardt’s Painterly Watercolors.
– June 1, 2018. Awards up to $10,000 – 1st $2,000, 2nd N 12th St., Wausau, WI 54403-5007.
$1,250, 3rd $750. Juror Mark E. Mehaffey. Digital entry/ Contact: Scottsdale Artists School
prospectus available Nov. 12, 2017 at www.nwws.org D E A D L I N E : M AY 15 , 2 018 scottsdaleartschool.org
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 39th CALIFORNIA
D E A D L I N E : F E B R UA RY 19 , 2 018 International Juried Exhibition, September 15 -
Southern Watercolor Society 41st Annual Exhibition. October 20, 2018. At the Crary Art Gallery, Warren, PA. Tony Couch, AWS
May 15 - June 22, 2018 at the Art Center Manatee, Juror of Selection – Keiko Tanabe, Juror of Awards 3/4-3/8/18, Cambria.
Bradenton, FL. Juror: John Salminen NWS, AWS.DF. – Ron Thurston. Over $14,000 in Awards. Entries Contact: 678/513-6676, toncouch@mindspring.com
Cash/merchandise awards. John Salminen Workshop accepted beginning March 1, 2018. For a prospectus, Flying Colors Art Workshops
“Realism through Design” May 15-18, 2018. Limited to visit www.pawcs.com or email April 2018, Santa Barbara. Brenda Swenson, W/C
member artists residing in the 18 states and DC which pwsjuriedshow@gmail.com
comprise SW. Deadline for entries through Juried Art Sketchbook. All levels of instruction. Class size 12.
Services February 19, 2018. Information and download Contact: Cris Weatherby, 858/518-0949
prospectus at www.southernwatercolorsociety.org Workshops FlyingColorsArt@me.com or
www.FlyingColorsArt.com
D E A D L I N E : M A R C H 1 , 2 018 Stephen Quiller
Ingram, Texas Watercolor Society, 69th Annual ALABAMA 3/12-3/16/18, San Diego.
National Exhibit, April 16 - June 28, 2018. $10,000 Huntsville Museum of Art San Diego Watercolor Society.
Total Cash Awards, $2,000 1st prize. Juror & 2/9-2/11/18, Huntsville. Sara Beth Fair, Contact: 619/876-4550, slater12@cox.net
Workshop instructor Laurie Goldstein - Warren (see Painting with Light, Color & Joy. online.workshops@sdws.org or www.sdws.org
workshop). Prospectus: TexasWatercolorSociety.org 5/3-5/6/18, Huntsville. David Dunlop,
Jan Sitts
D E A D L I N E : M A R C H 5 , 2 018 Natural Elements; Painting with the Masters,
Old & New Techniques. 6/8-6/11/18, San Clemente. San Clemente Art Supply.
Gibson Co Visual Arts Association, 17th GCVAA Contact: Heather, 949/369-6603
National Juried Exhibition, Trenton, TN. $2,000 cash 6/1-6/2/18, Huntsville. Alan Shuptrine,
awards. Juror: Soon Y. Warren AWS-NWS-TWSA / Realistic Watercolor Landscapes. C O LO R A D O
Workshop: April 30 - May 4, 2018. Online prospectus 8/16-8/18/18, Huntsville. Keith Andry,
Strong Design & Bold Strokes in Watercolor. Stephen Quiller
at www.gcvaa.org. Submit Digital entries: 6/2-6/8/18, Creede. Experimental Water Media- Color,
gcvaa2012@gmail.com. All 2-D media, no 10/18-10/21/18, Huntsville. David Shevlino,
Alla Prima Clothed Figure & Portrait Painting. Composition. 4 UR Ranch.
photography. 731/784-4120 / 731/352-5852. Contact: Robin Christensen
11/9-11/11/18, Huntsville. Lian Quan Zhen, Watercolor
D E A D L I N E : M A R C H 16 , 2 018 Painting: Let the Colors Paint Themselves. 719/658-2202 or fax 719/658-2308
2018 (60th Exhibition) Stockton, California. 11/15-11/17/18, Huntsville. Perry Austin, robin@4urranch.com or www.4urranch.com
The 60th Juried Exhibition at The Haggin Museum Painting the Landscape in Oils. 8/16-8/26/18, Creede. Intensive Color and Water
sponsored by the Stockton Art League. May 17 - Contact: Laura E. Smith, Director of Education/ Media Workshop. Quiller Gallery.
July 15, 2018. Cash awards over $5,000. Open to Museum Academy, 256/535-4350 x222 Contact: Marta Quiller, 719/658-2741
all US artists. No photography or computer art. lsmith@hsvmuseum.org or hsvmuseum.org info@quillergallery.com
2018 Watercolor Workshops
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“Behind The Scenes” - Janet Rogers, AWS
ROBBIE LAIRD $XJXVW %HQG 25
Joyce Hicks Sept. 17-21, 2018 DALE LAITINEN '$9,' /2%(1%(5*
DEAN NIMMER
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www.KanugaWatermediaWorkshops.com
“Westport by the Sea” - Joyce Hicks, AWS
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www.PAWCS.com
contact: pwswrkshops@gmail.com
Chris & Barbara Hutchison, Directors
Kanugaww@gmail.com

9/23-9/29/18, Creede. Plein Air Water Media MAINE
Workshop. 4 UR Ranch. Marjorie Glick
Contact: Robin Christensen 6/17-6/22/18, Stonington. Watercolor Plein Air: Color
CALL
719/658-2202 or fax 719/658-2308 and Light. This magical coastal landscape is an
robin@4urranch.com or www.4urranch.com
artists’ paradise! Stretch your perception of how
F LO R I DA you see, think about, and paint the landscape by
Art School Renaissance, Sarasota learning new ways of interpreting it with color and
TO
Workshops with invited nationally recognized artists. composition. Express your ideas using watercolor’s
1/27-1/28/18, Nocturnal Painting Workshop with elusive qualities of spontaneity and transparency.
Hai-Ou Hou, oil. Expand what you know through individual mentoring.
1/29-1/31/18, Marine Expressions in Watercolor, Daily demonstrations, ample time for painting,
individual guidance and critiques are included.
ARTISTS
Plein Air with Vladislav Yeliseyev.
2/25-2/27/18, Composition In Plein Air with Stonington, Maine is 90 minutes by car from Bangor,
Charlie Hunter, water-mixable oils. Maine airport.
3/17-3/19/18, Florida Landscape, Plein Air with Contact: www.marjorieglick.com
Vladislav Yeliseyev. 7/8-7/12/18, Orrs Island. Watercolor Plein air all levels.
3/20-3/22/18, Plein Air with George Van Hook, oil. Orrs Island is a wonderful place to paint because of
Contact: Marina, 941/330-6865 its varied scenery of quiet coves, rugged coastline,
school@yeliseyev.com or YeliseyevStudio.com and quintessential New England buildings. Our
lodgings have spectacular views from the large porch
Tony Couch, AWS
of sunset and water. Each morning begins with a
3/20-3/23/18, St. Petersburg.
demonstration that addresses the specifics of the
Contact: 678/513-6676, toncouch@mindspring.com
landscape at hand with regards to color, composition,
Tom Lynch and paint handling. The afternoons will be spent
1/5-1/7/18, Sanibel Island. painting on your own with plenty of individual
1/18-1/21/18, Daytona Beach. guidance from Marjorie. Orrs Island is 30 minutes by
1/26-1/28/18, Lakeland. car from Portland, Maine airport.
2/14-2/17/18, Punta Gorda. Contact: www.marjorieglick.com
3/13-3/15/18, Tequesta.
Tony van Hasselt, A.W.S.
3/27-3/29/18, The Villages.
Contact: 630/851-2652 5/19-5/21/18 and 6/2-6/4/18, Boothbay Harbor. Two
Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com three day workshops in Tony’s own “backyard”.
Coastal scenes, rickety docks, a farmers market,
Jan Sitts lighthouses and more. Demonstrations, lots of
2/5-2/8/18, Santa Rosa Beach. individual painting time and assistance. Participants
Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County. may extended these workshops to five days if
Contact: 850/814-7130 or 850/622-5970 desired. Work in watercolor or acrylics. Backstage Adjustments by Bev Jozwiak,
Tony van Hasselt, A.W.S. Contact: www.vanhasseltworkshops.com
3/10-3/12/18 and 3/24-3/26/18, Victorian Fernandina. 7/30-8/3/18, Belfast. Five days of plein air fun, 1st place, NWWS 77th Int’l Open Exhibition
Two three day workshops offering plein air painting exploring this teaming coastal harbor and enjoying
fun on sunny Amelia Island. Stately homes with moss the charm of Victorian Bayside. Subjects galore.
draped oaks, plus a harbor, boats and rickety docks. Demonstrations, lots of individual painting time and
Demonstrations, lots of individual painting time
and assistance. Participants may extended these
assistance. Work in watercolor or acrylics.
Contact: www.cmaworkshops.com
Northwest Watercolor Society’s
workshops to five days if desired. Work in watercolor
or acrylics. M A RY L A N D 78th Annual International
Contact: www.vanhasseltworkshops.com Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS
September 2018, Stevensville. Chesapeake Fine Art
Open Exhibition
Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS
12/12-12/14/17, Palm Beach Watercolor Society. Studio. 3 day watercolor studio workshop.
Contact: Adrienne Walker, 561/498-3605 Contact: 410/200-8019 Juror: internationally renowned artist,
adriennew4199@gmail.com
1/24/18, 2/27/18, 3/28/18, Bradenton. Keeton’s Art
MICHIGAN Mark E. Mehaffey, AWS Signature
Supply. One day Watercolor workshops. Chris Unwin
Contact: 941/747-2995 Watercolor Workshop Weekly on Wednesdays. Member; Dolphin Fellow, NWS
1/29-1/31/18, Sarasota. Marine Expressions in West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Watercolor, Plein Air Workshop. Contact: Chris Unwin, 248/624-4902 Up to $10,000 in total prizes!
3/17-3/19/18, Sarasota. Florida Landscape, ChrisUnwin@att.net or www.ChrisUnwin.net
Plein Air Workshop. NEW JERSEY 1st prize $2,000
Contact: Marina, 941/330-6865
school@yeliseyev.com or www.yeliseyevfineart.com Tom Lynch 2nd prize $1,250
5/15-5/18/18, Manahawkin.
GEORGIA Contact: 630/851-2652 3rd prize $750
Art In The Mountains Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com
6/11-6/15/18 and 6/18-6/22/18, Savannah. Charles
Reid, Drawing and Painting with Charles Reid.
NEW MEXICO Prospectus posted online for entry:
Watercolor - studio. Intermediate to advance painters. Art In The Mountains
Contact: Tracy Culbertson, 503/930-4572 4/8-4/10/18 and 4/12-4/14/18, Santa Fe. Alvaro November 12, 2017
info@artinthemountains.com or Castagnet, The Pillars of Watercolor. Watercolor -
www.artinthemountains.com plein air. Intermediate to advanced outdoor painters. www.NWWS.org
5/8-5/10/18, Santa Fe. Mary Whyte, The Best of
Tony Couch, AWS
Watercolor. Watercolor - studio. All levels welcome.
4/9-4/12/18, Dawsonville.
4/30-5/3/18, St. Simons.
Contact: Tracy Culbertson, 503/930-4572 Entry Deadline
info@artinthemountains.com or
Contact: 678/513-6676, toncouch@mindspring.com
www.artinthemountains.com Sunday January 14, 2018
H AWA I I N E W YO R K
Eric Wiegardt, AWS-DF, NWS 6:00pm PST
Hudson River Valley Art Workshops
1/20-1/28/18, Oahu. Hawaii Plein Air Workshop.
3/18-3/24/18, Margaret Evans.
Contact: Wiegardt Studio Gallery, 360/665-5976
4/22-4/28/18, Margaret Dyer. Exhibition Dates
watercolors@ericwiegardt.com
4/29-5/5/18, Christine Camilleri.
ILLINOIS 5/6-5/12/18, Peter Fiore.
April 16, 2018 – June 1, 2018
Transparent Watercolor Society of America 5/16-5/20/18, Christine Ivers.
6/4-6/8/18, Kenosha. John Salminen, 5/20-5/26/18, Robert Burridge. Mercer View Gallery
Realism Through Design. 5/30-6/3/18, Larisa Aukon.
6/4-6/8/18, Kenosha. Soon Warren, 6/3-6/9/18, Laurie Goldstein-Warren. Mercer Island, Washington
Creating Cut Crystal & Pouring Background. 6/10-6/16/18, Richard McKinley.
6/11-6/15/18, Kenosha. John Salminen, 6/17-6/23/18, Joel Popadics.
Abstraction Through Design. 6/24-6/30/18, Elizabeth St Hilaire.
6/11-6/15/18, Kenosha. Soon Warren, 7/1-7/7/18, Brenda Swenson.
Creating Silver & Pond Water. 7/8-7/14/18, Kathyanne White.
Contact: www.watercolors.org 7/15-7/21/18, Fabio Cembranelli.
7/22-7/28/18, David Dunlop.
INDIANA 7/28-8/1/18, Patti Mollica.
Art In The Mountains 8/1-8/5/18, Howard Rose.
9/13-9/15/18, Indianapolis. Mary Whyte, The Portrait 8/5-8/11/18, Mel Stabin.
and The Figure. Watercolor - studio. All levels 9/2-9/8/18, Self-Directed Retreat. P.O. Box 50387 Bellevue, WA 98015-0387
welcome. 9/9-9/15/18, Lorenzo Chavez.
Contact: Tracy Culbertson, 503/930-4572 9/16-9/22/18, Judi Betts.
www.NWWS.org
info@artinthemountains.com or Contact: 888/665-0044
www.artinthemountains.com info@artworkshops.com or www.artworkshops.com

Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS 8/13-8/17/18, Bend. David Lobenberg, California Vibe. Wimberley Artists Workshops
5/23-5/25/18, Newburgh. Riverside Art Workshop. Studio - watercolor. All levels welcome. 2/5-2/8/18, Wimberley. Michael Holter, one of
Contact: Marguerite, 845/787-4167 8/20-8/24/18, Bend. Lian Quan Zhen, East Meets America’s top watercolorists, teaches both plein
mkmeyerson@gmail.com or West. Watercolor - studio. All levels welcome. air and studio. The workshop format is all inclusive
riversideartworkshops.com (luxury lodging meals, wine) in Texas’ beautiful Hill
8/27-8/31/18, Bend. Ward Jene Stroud, Brusho and Country.
NORTH CAROLINA Beyond. Watercolor - studio. All levels welcome. Contact: 512/847-9344, bill@creekhaveninn.com or
John C. Campbell Folk School Contact: Tracy Culbertson, 503/930-4572 wimberleyartistworkshops.com
1/7-1/13/18, Margaret Scanlan, Watercolor Painting for info@artinthemountains.com or
VERMONT
All. $630. www.artinthemountains.com
1/14-1/20/18, Gay Bryant, Watercolor I. $630.
Tom Lynch
1/21-1/26/18, Pam Beagle-Daresta, Acrylic Color P E N N SY LVA N I A 7/24-7/25/18, Burlington.
Contact: 630/851-2652
Layering – Make Your Mark. $564. Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com
1/28-2/3/18, Bradley Wilson, Fearless Painting: 4/16-4/20/18, Janet Rogers.
Adventures in Acrylic. $630. Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS
9/17-9/21/18, Joyce Hicks. 8/27-8/30/18, Landgrove Inn.
2/11-2/16/18, Billie Shelburn, Fast and Loose Ink &
4/8-4/12/19, Sterling Edwards. Contact: 800/669-8466 or vtinn@sover.net
Wash. $564.
2/18-2/24/18, Kathy Chastain, Introduction to Painting Contact: pwswrkshops@gmail.com or
www.PAWCS.com
VIRGINIA
with Watercolor Gouache. $630. Tom Lynch
3/4-3/9/18, Nan Cunningham, Painting with Authority. TENNESSEE 4/30-5/4/18, Fredericksburg.
$564. Contact: 630/851-2652
3/11-3/17/18, Gay Bryant, Watercolor II – Improving Tom Lynch
Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com
Your Painting Techniques. $630. 6/5-6/8/18, Cookeville.
Contact: John C. Campbell Folk School Contact: 630/851-2652 WA S H I N G T O N
Brasstown, NC 800-FOLK-SCH or www.folkschool.org Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com Tom Lynch
Kanuga 9/25-9/28/18, Clarkston.
4/7-4/13/18, Hendersonville. M.E. Mike Bailey, David TEX AS Contact: 630/851-2652
R. Becker, Carrie Burns Brown, Kathleen Connover, Tom Lynch Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com
Robbie Laird, Dale Laitinen, Dean Nimmer, Jean 4/11-4/14/18, Dallas. Northwest Watercolor Society
Pederson, Richard Stephens, Debora Stewart, Jo Toye 9/6-9/9/18, New Braunfels. 4/23-4/27/18, Seattle. AWS Signature Member,
and Soon Warren. Dolphin Fellow, NWS – Mark Mehaffey returns to the
Contact: 630/851-2652 Northwest Watercolor Society for a 5-day workshop in
Contact: Chris & Barbara Hutchison
Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com Seattle. A long-time art instructor, Mark will help you
kanugaww@gmail.com or
www.KanugaWatermediaWorkshops.com Jan Sitts get your ‘brush’ miles and develop your own style.
12/6-12/9/17, The Art House Gallery. $500 members, $600 non-members. Space is limited.
OHIO Contact: www.nwws.org
Contact: 214/285-0084
Tony Couch, AWS Jan Sitts
10/1-10/4/18, Granbury.
7/9-7/12/18, Oxford. 9/6-9/9/18, Coupeville.
Contact: 678/513-6676, toncouch@mindspring.com Lake Granbury Art Association. Contact: Lisa, 360/678-7420
Contact: Diana, 817/326-5629 or 817/578-1842 Pacific NorthWest Art School
OREGON Texas Watercolor Society Eric Wiegardt, AWS-DF, NWS
Art In The Mountains 4/16-4/19/18, Ingram. Lauri Goldstein-Warren, 2/19-2/22/18, Kent. Wiegardt’s Painterly Watercolors.
7/23-7/27/18 and 7/30-8/3/18, Bend. Herman Pekel, Be Contact: Jo Ann, 253/569-6006
“Cityscapes that Sparkle”. Step by step process
Brave and Have Fun. Watercolor- studio and plein air. JoSakiArt@hotmail.com
All levels welcome. will be used to incorporate reference photos
3/5-3/8/18, Centralia.
8/6-8/10/18, Bend. Fabio Cembranelli, Intuitive and drawings for each project. Concentrating on Wiegardt’s Painterly Watercolors.
Painting, Transcending the Subject. Watercolor - technique, concept, color, composition and values. Contact: The Rectangle Gallery
studio. Intermediate to advanced. Contact: twsworkshops@gmail.com creativespace@therectanglegallery.com
Workshop DVDs HUDSON RIVER VALLEY

ART WORKSHOPS
Learning, Laughter,
and Friendships in an
Inspiring, & Inviting
Environment
Call Toll-Free 1-888-665-0044

Margaret Evans Mar 18-24, 2018
Margaret Dyer Apr 22-28, 2018
Skinny Jeans - Bev Jozwiak, AWS, NWS Christine Camilleri Apr 29-May 5, 2018
Peter Fiore May 6-12, 2018
Christine Ivers May 16-20, 2018
Robert Burridge May 20-26, 2018
Larisa Aukon May 30-Jun 3, 2018
Laurie Goldstein-Warren Jun 3-9, 2018
Richard McKinley Jun 10-16, 2018
Joel Popadics Jun 17-23, 2018
Elizabeth St Hilaire Jun 24-30, 2018
Brenda Swenson Jul 1-7, 2018
Kathyanne White Jul 8-14, 2018
Fabio Cembranelli Jul 15-21, 2018
Cherries - Soon Y. Warren, AWS, NWS David Dunlop Jul 22-28, 2018
See Video Clips Patti Mollica
Howard Rose
Jul 28-Aug 1, 2018
Aug 1-5, 2018
of the above artists and Video Clips of
Nita Engle, AWS - Chris Unwin, NWS Mel Stabin Aug 5-11, 2018
Alexis Lavine, NWS Self-Directed Retreat Sep 2-8, 2018
Soon Y. Warren, AWS, NWS Lorenzo Chavez Sep 9-15, 2018
Judi Betts Sep 16-22, 2018
WWW.ChrisUnwin.NET
or Call Chris: 248-624-4902 artworkshops.com
WISCONSIN No single supplement (subj. to avail). Painting 6/9-6/16/18, Watercolours with Sarah Yeoman 1
Transparent Watercolor Society of America materials are provided, or bring your own. (from USA).
6/4-6/8/18, Kenosha. John Salminen, Contact: www.barbarakerstetter.com 6/16-6/23/18, Watercolours with Sarah Yeoman 2
Realism Through Design. (from USA).
GERMANY
6/4-6/8/18, Kenosha. Soon Warren, 7/7-7/14/18, Watercolours (and oils, pastels and
Creating Cut Crystal & Pouring Background.
Eric Wiegardt, AWS-DF, NWS acrylics) with Terry Jarvis (from Australia).
6/11-6/15/18, Kenosha. John Salminen, 9/15-9/29/18, Lake Constance, Friedrichshafen. 9/1-9/8/18, Pastels with Rebecca de Mendonça and
Abstraction Through Design. Plein Air Workshop. Nel Whatmore (from UK).
6/11-6/15/18, Kenosha. Soon Warren, Contact: Wiegardt Studio Gallery, 360/665-5976
9/8-9/15/18, Watercolours and drawing (also gouache
Creating Silver & Pond Water. watercolors@ericwiegardt.com
and acrylics) with Mike Willdridge (from UK).
Contact: www.watercolors.org I TA LY 9/15-9/22/18, Watercolours (and oils and acrylics) with
Claire Warner (from UK).
International Marjorie Glick/Il Chiostro
6/2-6/9/18, Tuscany. This will be a relaxing and 10/6-10/13/18, Oils and watercolours with
inspiring painting workshop and artists’ re-treat in Vicki Norman (from UK).
BALI 10/13-10/20/18, Watercolours with Tim Wilmot
the Chianti Region of Tuscany, Italy. We will stay in an
Flying Colors Art Workshops authentic 12th century monastery, San Fedele, which (from UK).
August 2018, Ubud and Candi Dasa. Ken Goldman, has been recently restored to modern first class Contact: Bill or Lois on info@watermill.net or phone
WC. All levels of instruction. +39 327 379 9178. More details at
lodging accommodations while retaining an old-
Contact: Cris Weatherby, 858/518-0949
world authenticity. We will paint daily, either on site www.watermill.net/painting-holidays
FlyingColorsArt@me.com or
www.flyingcolorsart.com or on short field trips to view charming villages, olive
groves and the beautiful, romantic Tuscan country- MEXICO
C A N A DA side. The workshop is offered through Il Chiostro. Flying Colors Art Workshops
Tom Lynch Artists of all levels and mediums are welcome and will 3/4-3/10/18, San Miguel De Allende. Judy Morris, WC.
7/14-7/17/18, Conception Bay. leave enriched by this experience. All levels welcome.
7/19-7/22/18, Conception Bay. Contact: marjorieglick@mac.com or 3/11-3/17/18, San Miguel De Allende. Betty Carr, WC.
Contact: 630/851-2652 info@ilchiostro.com All levels welcome.
Tomlynch@msn.com or www.TomLynch.com Vladislav Yeliseyev AIS, NWS 10/21-10/27/18, San Miguel de Allende. Don Andrews.
6/21-7/5/18, Painting Trip – “Impressions of Umbria” All levels welcome.
CHINA Contact: Cris Weatherby, 858/518-0949
- Two weeks! Join Vladislav Yeliseyev for painting
Henning Communications workshop in a beautifully restored Capuchin FlyingColorsArt@me.com or
6/21-7/6/18, Watercolor Painting Tour Of China. Join monastery from the 16th century surrounded by olive www.FlyingColorsArt.com
us for a 17-day Sightseeing and Watercolor Painting groves in the foothills of the Apennines Mountains. La
Tour of China with Dongfeng Li and Daven Anderson, Romita School of Art. NEW ZEALAND
sponsored by the Missouri Watercolor Society. Tour Art In The Mountains
Contact: Tracy, 202/337-3120
reservations close March 31, 2018. $3,888 includes
washington@laromita.org or 1/31-2/10/18, New Zealand Cruise/workshop and
airfare, all hotels and meals.
www.laromita.org/workshops-italy-2018/vyeliseyev 2/10-2/12/18 plein air in Sydney, Australia with David
Contact: DavenAAnderson@gmail.com
The Watermill at Posara, Lunigiana, Tuscany Taylor. “Strength and Flow of Watercolor”.
FRANCE The 2018 painting tutors at the Watermill are: Contact: Tracy Culbertson, 503/930-4572
Marjorie Glick/Concord Art 4/28-5/5/18, Watercolours with Paul Talbot-Greaves info@artinthemountains.com or
9/2-9/9/18, Giverny. (from UK). www.artinthemountains.com
Contact: www.marjorieglick.com or 5/12-5/19/18, Painting course to be arranged.
www.concordart.org 5/19-5/26/18, Oils, acrylics, pastels and drawing
SWITZERLAND
Lotus Tours mediums with Maggie Renner Hellmann (from USA). Flying Colors Art Workshops
6/24~7/1/18, European river cruise from Lyon to 5/26-6/2/18, Watercolours with Sandra Strohschein 1 June 2018, Lauterbrunnen. Mel Stabin, WC. All levels.
Avignon. Watercolor instruction, visiting local artists (from USA). Contact: Cris Weatherby, 858/518-0949
& galleries, sightseeing, luxurious award-winning 6/2-6/9/18, Watercolours with Sandra Strohschein 2 FlyingColorsArt@me.com or
cruise, sumptuous food & drink. All tips & taxes. (from USA). www.FlyingColorsArt.com
Watercolors in Provence
a unique workshop with Barbara Kerstetter
Tomlynch@msn.com 630-851-2652 onboard a Uniworld river cruise
www.tomlynch.com
2018 WORKSHOPS
January 5 – 7 Sanibel Island, FL
January 18 – 21 Daytona Beach, FL
January 26 – 28 Lakeland, FL
February 14 – 17 Punta Gorda, FL
March 13 – 15 Tequesta, FL Plein Air
March 27 – 29 The Villages, FL
April 11 – 14 Dallas, TX
April 30 – May 4 Fredericksburg, VA June 24 ~ July 1, 2018
May 15 – 18 Manahawkin, NJ
June 5 – 8 Cookeville, TN Dear Fellow Painters,
July 14 – 17 Conception Bay, Canada
July 19 – 22 Conception Bay, Canada I’ve painted in Provence for many summers and would like to show you
July 24 – 25 Burlington, VT
the magnificent countryside of France that inspired such masters as Van
September 6 – 9 New Braunfels, TX
Gogh and Cezanne who also painted watercolors. It is such a luminous
September 25 – 28 Clarkston, WA
medium and very portable as we will cruise to a new village or vineyard
Available For Workshops In Your Area each day onboard a luxurious air-conditioned ship. All painting materials
will be provided, but if you have a favorite brush, please bring it. I hope
you will join me for this fun-filled trip of a lifetime. For details, contact:
Lotus Tours/PDT (212) 267-5414 info@lotustours.us

Visit www.ArtAcademyLive.com
www.barbarakerstetter.com
Your Online Source For
Art Instruction 24/7

picture this
BY I A I N S T E WA R T
Take a Chance
“Pearls don’t lie
on the seashore.
If you want one,
you must dive
for it.” —Chinese Proverb
I ’d been trying to capture this view

of North Queensferry from the
Forth Rail Bridge for a few years. I
couldn’t sketch on location, as there
are only a few seconds when the
scene is visible from the train. After
making thumbnails, I realized I’d have
to let the detail drain away from the
center of interest at the water’s edge.
I drew the buildings, but chose to
spray and lift from the lower portions
to keep the eye from getting caught in
that detail. I also chose to accentuate
the glow of light on the water and sky
in the same focal area, which keeps
the eye moving through the painting
but brings it back to this spot.
I painted the distant hills first,
allowing them to soften and recede
as I washed in the sky. I didn’t state
everything clearly; I wanted to leave
things to the viewer’s imagination.
After painting most of the town
in multiple glazes, I carefully began
destroying much of what I’d painted
in the lower portion. This left a
remnant but started to connect the
foreground as I’d envisioned.
These final “make-or-break” moves
are challenging and are, to a degree,
uncontrollable. That’s what I love
North Queensferry,
Scotland (watercolor
Read on page 60 what Iain Stewart, juror about watercolor. You’ve either ruined
on paper, 20¾x13¾) for the 2017 Florida Watercolor Society it or made it truly yours—and you
Exhibition, had to say about his top selection. typically get one shot at it.
Live an Artful Life
From meditations in the studio to trending colors, urban sketchers and Renaissance
masters, Artists Network connects you with the artists, ideas, inspiration, and skills
that encourage art making and living an artful life.
Artistsnetwork.com
BLICK PREMIER
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WATERCOLOR
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Made on a traditional cylinder mould, our

new professional-quality watercolor paper is 100%
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