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The landscape is entrancing with subtle colors and shapes. From the spiritual beauty of a sunset over a distant mountain, to a summertime thunderhead looming above the horizon, all is magical. Nature and the landscape bring together a world of opposites; it is sublime, beautiful, colorful, real, honest, spiritual, gentle and silent. But also, it is rugged, destructive, dark, forceful and cruel. Many of these qualities are also found in life, in ourselves, and in each other. There is endless inspiration and endless change in the landscape-the perfect formula for a series of paintings. As Kandinsky wrote, "There would be no other truths than those we discover inside ourselves, sustained by the 'principal of inner need.' "
Watercolor is uniquely suited to portray the landscape because of the magical way the colors come together on a wet ground and blend to form new colors. The suggestion of a landscape is what I am trying to paint, the "impression" of a tree or a bush, a field of grasses bent by the wind. Because I do not intend realism, my work could be considered expressionistic and abstract. As Van Gogh said, "The real artist paints not what he sees but what he feels." I also follow the traditional American style of watercolor painting from Winslow Homer to Andrew Wyeth. Wyeth's paintings have been a source of inspiration for me since I received a book of his watercolor paintings in 1976.
I do not plan a painting or even begin with a sketch. I do decide on a format, tape off the edges I have selected and then I let the pigment flow across the surface. I react to the results of the blending colors and the next stroke is revealed to me. There is no set point when the painting is finished. I "feel" my way along and intuitively know when a balance is reached. Lastly, I want the viewer to become part of the process using their memories and experiences to interpret my art.
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