October Featured Artist

Hello and welcome to another new month. It's amazing to think it's October already. We had a very successful exhibition last week. I will give you all more details on that later this week when I have had a chance to count all the peoples choice votes and the money taken but for now its my pleasure to introduce to you our featured artist for this month...

   Julie Gilbert Pollard

8616 West Glenrosa Avenue

Phoenix, Arizona 85037-1814

623-849-2504

e-mail: JulieGilbertPollard@cox.net         website: www.JulieGilbertPollard.com

Hello and thank you! I truly appreciate being asked to be your featured artist for October! Scrolling back through your Waterfront Blog I see you have had a wonderful variety of styles and subject matter from talented and skilled painters, each so distinctive, their work beautiful and beguiling – truly unique. Isn’t that what makes ART so awesome, that it’s a unique, individual expression of an artistic personality. We all have that artist’s soul within us, that desire to produce a work of beauty. Regardless of our skill level thus far attained, we all have an elusive mental image of what we wish to express in paint. Our skills must “catch up with” that vision! That’s where I am – still trying to attain a skill level high enough to enable me to paint what I see in my mind’s eye. A carrot on a stick dangling before my artist’s eye!

I like to define my style as “painterly realism”, and am always aiming for loose, fluid brushwork that’s beautiful regardless of whether or not it describes the subject – yet at the same time, wanting the subject to be identifiable and important, infused with my own personal concept of reality. The eye may see as a camera ‘sees’, but the mind’s eye sees an altered, imagined image, what it wants and hopes to see. It’s that illusive image, uniquely mine, along with a heightened sense of ‘realness’ that I try to express in my paintings. This world of ours is often a frightening and mysterious place, but it’s filled with scenes and subjects that excite my eye and imagination! The magical allure of the natural world, and my reverence for it, compel me to attempt to capture its essence on canvas or paper.

In addition to having had my work represented by numerous fine art galleries over the years – Esprit Décor Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona currently represents my work – I have been very fortunate to have written and illustrated two books for North Light: Brilliant Color (oil and acrylic, 2009) and Watercolor Unleashed (due for release in 2013) – and to have filmed two Watercolor Unleashed videos (2011) also with North Light. Additionally, I self-publish Watercolor Unleashed! The Notebook (a “chapter-at-a-time binder-book”, 2009 through 2012, ongoing), which was the genesis for my “Watercolor Unleashed series”.  

My career has been a joy! I especially enjoy conducting painting classes and workshops – for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it’s so rewarding to see that “aha moment” when a painting idea is understood and resonates with someone for the first time! Painting in and of itself is self-realizing and conducive to good mental health. However, I feel like I’m doing something more important when I can participate in helping someone develop their painting talents, the act of painting so often being a source of pure pleasure and happiness.

For another, it adds a social element to a very solitary job. I’ve made wonderful and lasting friendships that could have come about no other way.

One truly exciting aspect of being a workshop instructor is – believe it – travel!  I’ve been so lucky to have been invited as guest artist instructor for workshops around Arizona, California, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida and such incredible locales as Canada and Umbria, Italy. About the latter – one of my most exciting painting trips currently scheduled – openings are currently being reserved for my second workshop at La Romita School of Art in Umbria, Italy in June 2013.  If you are interested – in that or other workshops – please contact me for additional info at juliegilbertpollard@cox.net.

A recent addition to my “teaching” activities is the writing and illustration of “painting tips” e-mails that have proven to be very popular. If you would like to receive these “tips” – TOTALLY FREE – please send me your e-mail address. I look forward to sending them to you and making new painting friends!

The mediums I work with are oil, watercolor and sometimes, acrylic. Usually my use of acrylic is as an adjunct to either oil or watercolor. My currently favorite watercolor process begins with a technique I like to call “watercolor in reverse”, thus-named since it begins with the darkest darks using acrylic-as-watercolor rather than the more traditional “light to dark” approach. Watercolor aficionados are usually extremely interested and fascinated by my “watercolor in reverse” method since it addresses several watercolor issues and is an exciting, if a bit non-traditional, method. Here is an excerpt from Watercolor Unleashed!

 Afraid of the dark? You are not alone! And if this does indeed describe you, your paintings may lack value contrast. You may be so nervous about the possibility of ruining the work that you have labored over that you are afraid to give the painting the punch that it needs.

So why not put in the darkest darks first and get it over with? Why not establish the all-important value pattern before you have invested so much time and emotional attachment? You probably have learned from painful experience that if you do this with watercolor, the chances are great that you will need to paint over these darks at some point, at which time they are likely to dissolve into and muddy those subsequent washes.

Enter fluid acrylics—acrylics used as watercolor. When dry, acrylic is no longer water soluble.  You can paint wet watercolor right over the acrylic and the acrylic won’t budge. The acrylic darks serve as underpinnings to “lock in” your composition.

Warning...do not paint with acrylic in an indiscriminate manner if you wish to keep your painting transparent—acrylic is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove. The fact that acrylic dries waterproof is an advantage because it is indelible. On the other hand, the fact that acrylic dries waterproof is also a disadvantage—because it is there to stay! Use acrylic when you are quite sure that you know where you want it! Once you have practiced this technique enough to get the hang of it, I advise using it only when it seems clear that there will be a significant benefit to using it on the particular painting at hand. If used correctly you will find it to be a wonderful adjunct to your watercolor “repertoire”.

The acrylic doesn’t necessarily have to be done as a first step. At any time during the painting process, when you feel the need for an indelible color, use acrylic. Again, use with care as it will be there forever!

Not only does this method get the most intimidating part of painting over with first, it also solves four other painting problems as well. The darks create a pattern that unifies the design, they remain clean and sharp rather than muddy, they open up a range of lighter values, and they create a plan for the painting that allows you to concentrate on and enjoy the painting process. 

 Here you see the “acrylic underpinnings” technique at work in the first stage of the painting. Can you imagine how helpful it was to me to have those very dark areas established early on?   

Incidentally, for those of you who, like me, indulge in painting with oil as well as water-media, this method is also a favorite of mine for the beginning stage of an oil painting (my favorite oils being the water mixable Holbein DUO Aqua Oil) as seen in my first book Brilliant Color.

I love to paint! Each medium has its own personality – I love to alternate between transparent and opaque mediums. Oil being my primary gallery medium and watercolor my primary teaching medium, I have the perfect excuse to use both and can’t imagine being limited to just one. Back to watercolor – especially an expanded “water-media” version – watercolor is such an exciting and expressive medium! You can do almost anything with it, particularly when utilizing the many water based products, brilliant colors, papers, canvases, grounds, etc. that are available to us. We have access to a veritable “candy store” of products and options – we are fortunate indeed!

Thanks again for inviting me to participate in your Waterfront Blog this month.

All the best painting to you,

Julie

April's Artist of the Month... Nita Leland

 Thank you Nita for agreeing to be our artist of the month. 

Hello BWS

Like many women who are artists, I’m a late bloomer. I started out when I was creeping up on forty, a typical suburban wife and mother of four. My husband gave me a surprise gift of watercolors for my birthday. My life as an artist began in a suburban YMCA while my children took swimming lessons. With the first brush stroke I found myself enthralled with the medium. Over time, I discovered that teaching watercolor painting was a great way to learn and to help pay for my materials. From the beginning my greatest joy has been helping beginners get started. My goal in teaching is to inspire creativity and self-confidence in my students. 

Color turned out to be my passion. After developing my color workshops, I wrote Exploring Color, published by North Light Books in 1985.  I began teaching color workshops throughout the United States and Canada and writing magazine articles for The Artist’s Magazine, Watercolor Magic, Watercolor, American Artist and Somerset Studio magazines, as well as the Canadian Watercolour Gazette. In 1994 I designed and manufactured  the Nita Leland(tm) Color Scheme Selector, a unique color wheel. Later, I filmed  Exploring Color Workshop videos.  Exploring Color Revised, an updated and expanded version of the original book was released in 1998. In 2000 I formed Moonflower Books and self‑published Exploring Color Coloring Book, a hands‑on color journal for artists. During these years I continued to teach and paint, exhibiting frequently with the Brown Baggers, a plein-air group that had been together since 1975.

 Because of my interest in product quality, I’ve consulted with major manufacturers of art materials on watercolor paints and papers and presented seminars for more than ten years for the National Art Materials Trade Association and other trade organizations. I love the excitement of the consumer trade shows, where artists buzz around learning about new tools and tricks. I still hear from artists now and then who took my workshops at those shows.

North Light asked me to write a second book, so I collected the motivational lessons I’d taught in my watercolor classes, researched creativity,  and wrote The Creative Artist (1990). This spurred my interest in collage, so I collaborated with Virginia Lee Williams on Creative Collage Techniques, which I recently enlarged and updated for North Light (2011).  My books have all been bestsellers in their original and revised editions, along with Confident Color (2008). Four have been published in foreign languages: German, French, Dutch and Chinese.  It totally amazes me to think that my words are circling the globe and helping artists to grow and prosper. To me, this is the best thing about the Web—that we are able to reach out and share knowledge with each other and enjoy a sense of community with other artists.

I still don’t know exactly what turned this stay‑at‑home mom into an artist, author and traveling workshop teacher. I’ve enjoyed meeting every new challenge and look forward to many more. For several years my artwork  has taken a back seat to writing and teaching, but I still feel that watercolor is the driving force behind what I do. This quotation from Richard Bach is one of my favorites:

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.”

I’m looking forward to hearing from blog readers—tell me your story—I know you have one! 

                                                                                                                        Nita

Artist of the month shares Work in progress!

 Hi everyone,
A couple of people have been very interested to know more about our Artist of the month Dan Vangeli's colour palette for his portraits. Today Dan has very kindly sent me some Work in progress photos from his most recent painting showing us the stages he goes through.

For all my paimtings I use a relatively small palette of about 10 colors...I use:
Transparent colors:
-cobalt blue
-aureolin yellow
-rose madder genuine
-veridian green
Staining colors:
Alizarin crimson
Winsor green (blue shade)
Olive green
Scarlett lake red
Burnt umber

 As for skin tones, it varies with each piece. but most of the time I start with the rose madder, alittle aureolin yellow, and add a little olive green. It gets a nice base skin tone.

I start very light, and build up from there adding scarlet lake, and cobalt blue to the mix. I use a large palette, and really use the mixing area to experiment until I find what I want.

  As far as avoiding the muddy darks, it gets a little tricker. I try first to just get deeper with the colors I am already using in the face, but sometimes, I do add a little burnt umber. I also make a mixed black using the alizarin crimson, and winsor green (blue shade) which I sometimes add to mix, but VERY little as it is overpowering. Alot of what I do is just experimenting. As I paint, I don't really think about the paint itself, I literally just mix things (having a basic idea of what colors make what I am looking for and pulling out what I like.

 Hope this helps to answer some of your questions

Artist of the Month Daniel Vangeli PWS, BWS

My, the months seem to be flying past. It’s March and time for me to introduce our new artist of the month Daniel Vangeli. I had the pleasure of meeting Dan and his wife last year at the PWS exhibition. Dan is a fabulous but very modest person. He has huge talent and has just won a major award at this years American Watercolor society 2012 exhibition with this painting. 

I know many of you are starting to enter juried shows locally and some are thinking of spreading their wings and trying further afield. So why not ask Dan about his experiences. 

I will now pass this post over to Dan

Hello Everyone,

First of all thank you so much for having me. When Ona asked me about sharing what I do, I felt honored, as well as  inadequate. I have been painting watercolors for a little over 3 years total, with just finding a passion for it within the last 2 years.

   I had left painting all together several years ago, only giving watercolor a second try in 2010. Something just "clicked" for me this time, and I haven't stopped since. My first painting back was "Lost and Found", which  is the painting above and is also the painting that has launched my career. 

    In 2010 I entered my very first watercolor competition, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's International Juried Exhibition. Not thinking much about having a chance in entering, my painting won first place.  This gave me the confidence I needed to keep going, and over the last 2 years I've won awards at other societies, have had work published in a few magazines. 

 Here are a couple more of my paintings.

 I look forward to sharing what I do know, and hearing from you as well. 

Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing from you!

- Dan Vangeli

www.danielvangeli.com

February Artist of the Month Debi Watson NWS, PWS

Hi everyone,

Its the beginning of a new Month today and it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you all our February Artist of the Month Debi Watson. Debi is the President and a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. Last year she also was elected as a signature member of the National Watercolor Society. She paints in both watercolour and oils in a traditonal realistic style.

                                                                          'Blowing Snow' Watercolour

Debi has kindly written a message to you all below. She is willing to answer any of your questions this month. I hope you will again take this fabulous opportunity to learn from such an amazing artist. If you would like to ask Debi a question please click on the word comment at the bottom of the post. a new window will then open up with a white box for you to type your questions or observations into.

Hello Bayview watercolour Society,

I was born a love for art and spent a lot of my childhood drawing, much to the chagrin of my parents, who tried to encourage 'more practical' uses of my time.  I continued art as a hobby and started painting watercolors in 1983, with a how to paint craft store book as a guide.  My work was lauded by judges from the beginning, which was kind of unnerving for me.  At one of the first shows I entered, my painting won two awards and  I was asked to exhibit in the professional catagory.  I was so intimidated that I didn't show for years!

                                                                                             'Madness'   watercolor

  Being self-taught, learning took a lot of time, but gave my work it's own unique look.  In 1999, I retired from nursing to paint full time.  I have enjoyed entering the juried shows as a way to push myself toward excellence.  My work has been accepted and won awards across the nation, being featured in over a dozen magazines and books. 

                                                                                                    'Serenity' Watercolour

I just like to paint, and always will.  I enjoy teaching and giving other people the encouragement to create art that I didn't get in my early years.  I have many free how to paint videos on youtube including this one

For a whole range of free videos please follow the following link  http://www.youtube.com/debiwatsonwatercolor

I am also currently working on putting lessons on my website www.debiwatson.com

I'm looking forward to  being your Artist of the Month and answering any questions you might have.

                                                                                                 Debi Watson

Introducing January's Artist of the month!!!

As a special celebration of our 10th Anniversary this is an exciting new feature for our blog for this year. It's a chance for you to be able to get to know some world class professional watermedia artists, be able to chat to them personally right here on our blog and ask them questions by posting right here as a comment!!!

This Month's Artist is the very well known North American Watercolour artist Jane Freeman TWSA!

I hope you will all welcome Jane to our blog :)

Isn't her above painting just gorgeous. Its called  'At Attention!'

Jane has very kindly taken the time to write you all a personal message. Thank you Jane!

"I guess I am your first "artist of the month"! What an honor to be asked to begin this new adverture of yours! Since blogs are more informal this will be alot of fun for all of you as you get to visit and ask questions of different artists.

I have been painting in watercolors exclusively since the mid 1980's. I found it challenging as a medium at first but also less toxic than my oils so was the perfect choice to use while raising a family. Little did I know that I would be hooked for a lifetime and no turning back!
I paint mostly still life and floral as that is what I know and have access to. I raise alot of flowers and paint the things in my house given to me by family members from the present and past. I do not believe in painting unfamiliar things as there is little personal connection to them and I believe that shows.

I have been published internationally in books and magazines and wrote my own book " A Celebration of Light" for North Light books. I still am amazed when people know me and my work. I think that is the most enjoyable part of what has happened to me. I have met such wonderful people and artists and it still continues to be an important part of my life. We tend to be very isolated to do our work but now through the internet, I have a circle of artists whom I can call friends and that has been wonderful to find at this stage of my life!

This is another of my paintings. Its called 'Pears on Movil' 

I hope you will visit my website at www.janefreeman.com. It needs to be updated but I have to learn a few new things in order to do that so it is on hold. I do alot of step by step demos on my blog at http://watercolorist.blogspot.com/ and I am active on Facebook and Artcolony which is a blog I developed for some of my artist friends at http://artcolony.blogspot.com

I will be happy to talk with you through the month and answer any questions that I can. It will be fun to get to know you. Thank you so much for this opportunity. "-

Jane Freeman

Jane is going to take a peak into our blog each day this month so post any questions you would like to ask her by clicking on 'comment' at the end of this post. Type your comment or question in the white box. If you haven't got a blog account, choose anonymous in the drop down menu and then post your comment but make sure you write your name at the end of your post so Jane knows who she is talking to :)

So... to start us of. I have thought of a couple questions to ask Jane for you :)

1. Do you have a favourite colour palette that you use for your paintings or do you select your colours according to each painting?

2.  If you could give just one  piece of advice to someone who enjoys painting in  watercolour what would it be?

This is a unique chance for you all so please don't miss the opportunity to chat to these artists each month by being shy:)

Ona