Watercolor Artist

editor’s note

The year 2020, as many have already noted, has not been typical. Among the many pandemic-related disappointments was the sudden avalanche of cancellations and postponements of art events that had been long in the planning. From major museum exhibitions to gallery shows to painting workshops, the opportunities for in-person art-viewing and instruction came to a fairly abrupt halt. Fortunately, an insistence that “the show must go on” became the prevailing attitude. Many workshop instructors took advantage of video-conferencing technology to share education over the internet, and many exhibition planners—in cases where postponement was simply not practical—worked to create enhanced online presentations of artwork. “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”VINCENT VAN GOGH The Society Showcase (page 58) is our annual celebration of artists awarded top prizes in juried…

sagnik biswas

Formally trained as an architect, Sagnik Biswas (paintpaperbrush.com) of Mumbai, India taught himself how to use watercolors before he ever went to school. His first watercolors—a Camlin set—was a gift from his father in 1976, purchased at a market in Calcutta. Because of Biswas’ history with the brand and the nostalgia associated with it, he has an affi nity for using the paints and always carries a few tubes in his toolkit—a bag he keeps handy for those moments when inspiration strikes. “Selling paintings isn’t my goal,” says the artist. “I paint for myself and enjoy it immensely.” Camlin holds a Camel Art Foundation Design Contest each year, one of the world’s largest art contests, according to Guinness World Records, with millions of entries. In 2016, Biswas was excited to learn…

new + notable

STUDIO STAPLES Splash of Color Watercolor Pencils [$15] This artful set of 10 watercolor pencils will set the tone for your time at the easel, with graphic prints. They can be used wet or dry. CHRONICLEBOOKS.COM Watercolor Rainbow [$161] This eco-friendly printed wallpaper mural would look lovely positioned over an easel or work station in a watercolor artist’s studio. The mural comes in vinyl self-adhesive or nonwoven wallpaper and in two sizes: 62x98 or 98x151. ETSY.COM/SHOP/KIINOO ON THE SHELVES The Short Story of Women Artists [$20] In The Short Story of Women Artists: A Pocket Guide to Key Breakthroughs, Movements, Works and Themes, author Susie Hodge packs each section full of the kind of information that has been left out of art textbooks. For instance, in one section the author explores art movements, including dates, key artists…

nwws broadens guidelines

After a year of challenge and adjustment, change is something to which we’re all learning to adapt—and watercolor societies are no different. The Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) announced in July of 2020 that for its 80th annual show, it would accept paintings on a wide range of substrates—natural or synthetic—a departure from the traditional rule of paper-only submissions. In response, the society received an unusually large number of entries. Juror Ron Stocke was left with the difficult task of picking 75 paintings out of 674 entries for the online-only exhibition. “Paper substrates are no longer required,” says NWWS president, Molly Murrah, “but must be considered two-dimensional.” She also says the society will no longer dictate framing or presentation guidelines for artist submissions. “Paintings painted on traditional watercolor paper can be…

raggin’ on: the art of aminah brenda lynn robinson’s house and journals

After her death in 2015, artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s estate was bequeathed to the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA). In the first major exhibition of her art since that time, “Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals” invites viewers to experience the artist’s home through her belongings and art, keeping in mind her intention to “celebrate the everyday lives and culture of Black people and their endurance through centuries of injustice.” On view will be Robinson’s own art, furnishings she made for her home, books pulled from her large library, button collections, fabric, canes, dolls, thimbles, art from her personal collection and photo enlargements of her living spaces and studios. Her journals will also be on display. The accompanying exhibition catalog, published by the…

what’s online

WATERCOLOR MYTHBUSTERS Artist Peggy Macnamara (see page 32) sets the record straight by addressing common misconceptions and falsehoods about watercolor. artistsnetwork.com/go/watercolor-myths INTUITION AND EXPRESSIVENESS IN WATERCOLOR Thomas Schaller’s (see page 14) watercolor paintings alone are enough to stir emotion. Add to that the story of his journey, and you’ll gain a whole new level of appreciation. artistsnetwork.com/go/thomas-schaller THE COLOR OF FRESH SNOW Artist Janet Nunn shares her landscape-painting techniques for how to make snowy scenes come alive with color. artistsnetwork.com/go/color-of-snow…