The Art of Watercolour 30th issue - Outdoor Painters And Studio Artists

MEET THE ARTISTS
David Poxon. Behind the scene: International Watercolour Masters, in Weston Park, UK.
Artist challenge: Still lifes are a favourite subject with many watercolour artists and there are probably as many different ways of approaching this particular topic as there are artists. We have chosen three watercolourists with different sensibilities: Chris Krupinksi from the US, Nono Garcia from Spain and Elena Bazanova who heralds from Russia.
Revelations: Måns Sjöberg and Shari Blaukopf.
Zheng Feng: The Chinese painter now living in United States, tells us all about his life as an artist between two different cultures and two watercolour traditions.
Fealing Lin: The human figure is her favourite painting subject.
Dennis Garrison: “It’s important to paint for your enjoyment.”

PORTFOLIO: Dashuai Sun. This Chinese artist creates detailed watercolours, inspired by the Mongolian figurative art he fell in love with.
Cesc Farré: Water is a complex subject that Cesc Farré has mastered.
Myint Naing: Nude is a relatively new subject for painters in Myanmar. This artist reveals all about his culture and subject choices.
Jill Krasner: Her floral compositions are mostly imaginary, outside conventions.
David Parfitt: This British artist uses printmaking and watercolour to create fascinating landscapes with some abstract elements.
Vladislav Yeliseyev: Uncovering the city’s inner beauty is the aim of this globe-trotting painter devoted to plein air painting.
Ekaterina Sava: Bright colours used for painting flowers in a romantic style.
David Norman: The winner of our last readers’ competition tells us how he tries to be as loose as possible, in order to create atmosphere.

TECHNICAL GUIDE: 6 pages of essential information to become a consummate artist.
- How to find your inspiration on a daily basis
- Monochrome sketches
- Signing your paintings: when, how, where?

Readers’ competition: More laureates and more advice! A permanent watercolour competition designed to encourage your talent.
International news: Watercolour events from all over the world.
We were there: The Drawing and Water-Based Paintings Fair, Paris
Call for entries: Here is the list of the main upcoming international competitions and all you need to know if you want to apply.

Editorial:
Spring is upon us and with it the promise of sunny days and plein air sessions. Maybe your next outdoor sessions have already been planned? Maybe you are thinking of signing up for workshops or entering watercolour events and contests. To this intent, the best advice we can give you is to browse our What’s On and Call for Entries sections, at the beginning and end of the magazine.
For many watercolour artists, painting outdoors is an undeniable part of their practice, as demonstrated by several – if not all - artists in this issue: Cesc Farré, captivated by the transparency effects of the waves on the Spanish coast, or David Norman, attracted to the sun-bleached facades of southern cities, or even Vladislav Yeliseyev who, as a real globe-trotter, does not hesitate to travel the whole wide world in search of the perfect subject… All these artists feel the need to find their inspiration in the field. Even in the case of artists who prefer the comfort of indoor painting, leaving their studio is part of their approach to quench their thirst for painting ideas with their camera in hand: thus Fealing Lin paces the streets of Los Angeles in her quest for striking figures or Ekaterina Sava, always ready to stop in front of a florist’s window to find the subject of her next floral watercolour...

One may however be tempted to ask: whether outdoor painter or studio artist, isn’t the approach to painting two sides of the same attitude? Being an artist is not a dilettante occupation or a stance: it is nothing more and certainly nothing less than a way of understanding and living in our society. To this end, watercolour, probably more so than any other medium, is the artist’s weapon of choice “par excellence”. As David Poxon likes to say, watercolour is “the simplest technique you can use and yet the most complex to master”. Watercolour allows us to capture our world and transcribe it on a blank piece of paper with only a few, fleeting, brushstrokes. Watercolour, the medium of demiurges?