Watercolor Artist

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editor’s note

Georgia O’Keeffe. Wassily Kandinsky. James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Each of these artists—inspired by the idea that color, shape and line could be used to describe and evoke sound—turned to musical terminology as titles for some of their paintings. O’Keeffe, who was among the 20th-century modernists inspired to express intangible ideas in abstract visual statements, spoke of translating music into “something for the eye.” “If you work with abstract painting for a period of time, you may come to think of it as a melody, a song, a piece of beautiful music.”—JUDI BETTS I’ve always found this connection between music and painting rather fascinating, especially as an accessible entry point to abstract art. While there are some people who really do “hear” in color, or who associate certain sounds with very specific shapes…

rae dunn

For some artists, finding beauty seems the easiest thing in the world. Watercolorist Rae Dunn has long captivated her fans with this joyful approach to creativity, and she’s now written a book to divulge some of her best tips. In Pursuit of Inspiration: Trust Your Instincts and Make More Art is chock-full of Dunn’s beautiful sketchbook pages, alongside easy catalysts for getting readers to approach their work in a new way. “There’s something romantic and elegant about watercolors,” says Dunn. “I love how both translucent and saturated they can be; how I can make any gradation of color; how they bleed and blend; how the paper warps. I’ve been known to watercolor on planes, trains, in the woods, on the beach, anywhere!” The artist often will use her watercolors as a…

new + notable

STUDIO STAPLES Watercolor Throw Blanket in Lavender [$30] The Etsy seller PCBHome has more than 8,000 glowing reviews for its home products, all made in the United States, including its series of watercolor-painted, lightweight sofa throws. Each throw is handmade with organic unbleached cotton and is the perfect adornment to a chilly winter night in the studio.ETSY.COM Custom Original Watercolor of Family Recipes [$235] Lucile Prache, of lucileskitchen on Etsy, makes one-of-a-kind works of watercolor art from your family’s most beloved recipes. Created with watercolor, ink and pencils on French Rives BFK paper, the pieces are 15x11 and completely customizable.ETSY.COM ON THE SHELVES A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook [$28] Lisa Solomon’s fun and interactive A Field Guide to Color functions as part sketchbook, part instruction. Learn more about color theory as you complete 30…

the visionary genius

Classified as one of the great artists and poets of British Romanticism, William Blake (British, 1757–1827) was too original to belong to any school or movement. His creative world was the province of mysticism, symbolism and progressive ideas. Blake was a Christian who spurned organized religion, a free thinker whose commitment to imagination was contrary to the rationalism of the Enlightenment. He was eccentric enough that many of his peers thought him insane. We understand better now. Whether expressed through writing, drawing or painting, Blake’s gifts were those of a visionary genius. He influenced the art of the Pre-Raphaelites and the Symbolists, and the writings of the Beat Poets and Bob Dylan. He has been cited, for his creation of a personal mythology, as a precursor to the study of the…

towers are like wedding cakes and other aha moments

Did you know that towers are like wedding cakes, trees are like umbrellas and visualizing dairy products can help you paint in watercolor? Some of my favorite and most fun sketching “aha” moments have to do with relating complex subjects to things we encounter every day. I often use these concepts when teaching, as these metaphors can help us to demystify the sometimes-challenging process of sketching the things we see. Here are seven tips to deconstruct objects in a way that will help you build them better. TIP: TOWERS ARE LIKE WEDDING CAKES. Imagine a wedding cake. If one layer is off-center, there will be a tragic cake collapse and a wedding disaster! The same is true for towers. Both a tower and a cake are a series of stacked round or rectangular boxes that…