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Watercolor: Paintings of Contemporary Artists
Watercolor is taking the art, fashion, and home décor worlds by storm. The result is an explosion of amazing new work by contemporary artists. This volume surveys the current revival of this loveliest of mediums, in portfolios from more than 20 of today's top watercolor artists from around the globe. From the evocative visual journals of Danny Gregory and Fabrice Moireau, through the fashion-inspired portraits of Samantha Hahn and Virginia Johnson, to the indie art stylings of Jane Mount and Becca Stadtlander, Watercolor stunningly showcases painterly brilliance. With artist profiles, an informative history of the medium, and an inspiring preface by DailyCandy's Sujean Rim, this is the guide to a beautiful revolution.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2013
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139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 9, 2020
The text and organization of this book is godawful. It has an intro that is a bunch of meaningless word salad, followed by a paragraph about each of the artists’ methodology, which is, believe it or not, even more meaningless: postmodern, touchy-freely art school pseudo-language that conveys absolutely no information whatsoever. The blurbs are not even in the same order the artists’ works are presented in the main section, so if you hope to go back and read the word salad as you view each section of paintings, good luck with that.
The good news is that the bulk of the book simply shows the works of 20 different contemporary watercolorists. They are each clearly masters of the medium, but have very different styles and subject matter. It is an excellently-curated collection; I only wish they included more than the 4-5 paintings per artist that they did.
At the end of the book they include a “biographical” section (which is not very biographical but at least includes web addresses), because heaven knows they couldn’t have put the biographical information for each artist with their section of art, or even in with their weird introductory blurb. Enjoy more page flipping!
Art: 4 stars.
Book design: 2 stars.
The good news is that the bulk of the book simply shows the works of 20 different contemporary watercolorists. They are each clearly masters of the medium, but have very different styles and subject matter. It is an excellently-curated collection; I only wish they included more than the 4-5 paintings per artist that they did.
At the end of the book they include a “biographical” section (which is not very biographical but at least includes web addresses), because heaven knows they couldn’t have put the biographical information for each artist with their section of art, or even in with their weird introductory blurb. Enjoy more page flipping!
Art: 4 stars.
Book design: 2 stars.
April 15, 2017
Inspiring!
August 11, 2020
From the preface by Sujean Rim, "Watercolor is such a flirt... The not-always-knowing-what-to-expect feeling tat this medium sparks is what I find the most fun--it's what keeps me curious. You may never truly get to know your watercolor, but you can flirt back."
The works featured in this collection are contemporary and varied: the mugshots of Danny Gregory; the Samantha Hahn's use of negative space; the textures present in the cityscapes of Fabrice Moireau; the gorgeous fluidity of Cate Parr's portraits; there really is too much to even highlight! I loved seeing all these different ways to use watercolor. Very inspirational.
The works featured in this collection are contemporary and varied: the mugshots of Danny Gregory; the Samantha Hahn's use of negative space; the textures present in the cityscapes of Fabrice Moireau; the gorgeous fluidity of Cate Parr's portraits; there really is too much to even highlight! I loved seeing all these different ways to use watercolor. Very inspirational.
October 22, 2017
It's easy to relegate watercolor to an elementary medium, but this book proves the diverse ways artists use it (or let it use them). From the sharp lines of architectural drafting to soft pools of color on the page, watercolor can do what other types of paint can do in ways that it isn't able. A wide range of examples from a variety of artists--from illustrators to abstract artists--is depicted in this eye-opening collection of watercolor images.
January 13, 2019
Dug up some old watercolors and checked this out for inspiration 👍
May 26, 2020
very inspiring!
January 10, 2022
The art is beautiful!
June 12, 2024
Watercolor: Paintings of Contemporary Artists, Sujean Rim, (Foreword), Leslie Dutcher (Introduction)
Inspirational! Captivating ‘Foreword’ and ‘Introduction’.
“… Once your wet brush hits dry paper, you’re done.” (p7)
I have got actively painting as a result of reading this book! ****
Other quotes include:
“Watercolor is such a flirt. The way it plays with light and depth with splashes of water. The way it can tease an eye by capturing realism until you notice shapes bleeding. With watercolors, there are no perfect lines.” - SUJEAN RIM
“Watercolor offers a special honesty, because you can’t hide any mark. .. You humanity is plain in view.” - JULIA DENOS
“My art is less about the end result than it is about the process.” - DANNY GREGORY
“I love the way a wet brush soaks the paper and how vibrant the colors are.” - VIRGINIA JOHNSON
“Patterns and colors come with the weather outside. .. And they are reflected in my cup of green tea.” - ANNA EMILIA LAITINEN
“I’m not sure you can tell a book by its cover. But you can learn a lot about a person from the covers of their books.” - JANE MOUNT
“Every painting requires a meditative state.” - AMY PARK
“It’s the mistakes and the unexpected that make this medium so alluring.” -
CATE PARR
“I like the antithesis of fascination-fear, beauty-nightmare, and sweet terrible.” - ISADORA REIMAO
“Watercolor has a multi-faceted personality, like a mystery I will never solve.” - JENNY VORWALLER
Inspirational! Captivating ‘Foreword’ and ‘Introduction’.
“… Once your wet brush hits dry paper, you’re done.” (p7)
I have got actively painting as a result of reading this book! ****
Other quotes include:
“Watercolor is such a flirt. The way it plays with light and depth with splashes of water. The way it can tease an eye by capturing realism until you notice shapes bleeding. With watercolors, there are no perfect lines.” - SUJEAN RIM
“Watercolor offers a special honesty, because you can’t hide any mark. .. You humanity is plain in view.” - JULIA DENOS
“My art is less about the end result than it is about the process.” - DANNY GREGORY
“I love the way a wet brush soaks the paper and how vibrant the colors are.” - VIRGINIA JOHNSON
“Patterns and colors come with the weather outside. .. And they are reflected in my cup of green tea.” - ANNA EMILIA LAITINEN
“I’m not sure you can tell a book by its cover. But you can learn a lot about a person from the covers of their books.” - JANE MOUNT
“Every painting requires a meditative state.” - AMY PARK
“It’s the mistakes and the unexpected that make this medium so alluring.” -
CATE PARR
“I like the antithesis of fascination-fear, beauty-nightmare, and sweet terrible.” - ISADORA REIMAO
“Watercolor has a multi-faceted personality, like a mystery I will never solve.” - JENNY VORWALLER
December 27, 2022
Pretty pictures.
October 16, 2015
[SUJEAN RIM]
Watercolor is such a flirt
The way it plays with light and depth with splashes of water
The way it can tease an eye by capturing realism until you notice shapes bleeding
With watercolors, there are no perfect lines
Once your wet brush hits dry paper, you’re done
But if you allow watercolor to just do it things and stay open to those inevitable accidents
Whereby colors leak into each other -- the most beautiful things can happen
You may never truly get to know your watercolors
My first encounter with watercolors were probably the same as yours
Childhood memories of painted figures
Old coffee cans full of dyed water and fat friendly brushes come to my mind
[Watercolor] paintings appeared so loose in their renderings
You could see droplets of water
You could gradations of color blending into each other
A small unpainted area in a wash of blue suddenly became a cloud in the sky
[DEAR HANCOCK]
They have created a unique brand of narrative detail and endearing personality
Inspired by a mix of nostalgia, humor, and everyday life
[He] still belief that the handwritten note is an important part of culture
[JULIA DENOS]
Watercolor offers a special honesty, because you can’t hide any mark
You humanity is plain in view
When you are using watercolor and you make a mistake
There really is no going back
You can only start over or learn to coax the mistake into something beautiful
I try to always choose the latter
[DANNY GREGORY]
I’m a work in progress
My art is less about the end result than it is about the process
The process of understanding the world around me
It’s beauty, complexity, individuality, and ever-changing nature
Sometimes I use my paints to try to capture the light and color
That I see as accurately as I can, layering shades, working wet
Other times, I use colors sparingly
Sometimes I pretreat my page with a random chaos of colors
I love the emotional quality of watercolors
Always in motion, drifting through layers
I prefer the vagueness of watercolor
Particularly in conjunction with with an ink line from a dip pen
Whereby everything is organic and a little out of control --
Like my life
[SAMANTHA HAHN]
An artist consumed by the female form
She employs an expressive approach to watercolors
Allowing color to mingle with delicate lines
And melding abstraction with observation
[VIRGINIA JOHNSON]
I love the way a wet brush soaks the paper and how vibrant the colors are
[ANNA EMILIA LAITINEN]
Weather, seasons, and landscapes are what inspire [her]
It feels natural to observe what happens around me in nature
How things are connected to each other
How they make each other possible
Patterns and colors come with the weather outside
And they are reflected in my cup of green tea
[DAIRE LYNCH]
Strives to capture the essence of a person --
His or her personality, his or her energy
[FABRICE MOIREAU]
Who began to create watercolors on pages of spiral notebooks
During a trip in Czechoslovakia in 1987
Always from life never from photographs
[JANE MOUNT]
I’m not sure you can tell a book by its cover
But you can learn a lot about a person from the covers of their books
[AMY PARK]
Watercolors, architecture, good paper, straight lines
Looking at abstract paintings
Color theory
Composition
Buildings I see everyday and ones I have never seen
Yoga
Walking through new cities
My camera, museums.
Every painting requires a meditative state
[CATE PARR]
It’s the mistakes and the unexpected that make this medium so alluring
[ISADORA REIMAO]
I like the antithesis of fascination-fear, beauty-nightmare, and sweet terrible
[BECCA STADTLANDER]
Creating a feeling on paper is [a] challenge
Every environment has an inexplicable essence
[JOHN NORMAN STEWART]
To me, diversity equals freedom and artistic exploration
[PAOLO TERDICH]
[His] art is both realistic and mysterious
His painted human figures convey intimacy and psychology
My intention is to pick out the psychology of the characters and suffuse them with sensuality
My figures are never portrayed with other individuals
To emphasize the loneliness of contemporary human being
[JENNY VORWALLER]
Watercolor has a multi-faceted personality, like a mystery I will never solve
Watercolors bring spontaneity and feeling of surrender
I see a painting as a continuous immersion into a language I call my own
Watercolor is such a flirt
The way it plays with light and depth with splashes of water
The way it can tease an eye by capturing realism until you notice shapes bleeding
With watercolors, there are no perfect lines
Once your wet brush hits dry paper, you’re done
But if you allow watercolor to just do it things and stay open to those inevitable accidents
Whereby colors leak into each other -- the most beautiful things can happen
You may never truly get to know your watercolors
My first encounter with watercolors were probably the same as yours
Childhood memories of painted figures
Old coffee cans full of dyed water and fat friendly brushes come to my mind
[Watercolor] paintings appeared so loose in their renderings
You could see droplets of water
You could gradations of color blending into each other
A small unpainted area in a wash of blue suddenly became a cloud in the sky
[DEAR HANCOCK]
They have created a unique brand of narrative detail and endearing personality
Inspired by a mix of nostalgia, humor, and everyday life
[He] still belief that the handwritten note is an important part of culture
[JULIA DENOS]
Watercolor offers a special honesty, because you can’t hide any mark
You humanity is plain in view
When you are using watercolor and you make a mistake
There really is no going back
You can only start over or learn to coax the mistake into something beautiful
I try to always choose the latter
[DANNY GREGORY]
I’m a work in progress
My art is less about the end result than it is about the process
The process of understanding the world around me
It’s beauty, complexity, individuality, and ever-changing nature
Sometimes I use my paints to try to capture the light and color
That I see as accurately as I can, layering shades, working wet
Other times, I use colors sparingly
Sometimes I pretreat my page with a random chaos of colors
I love the emotional quality of watercolors
Always in motion, drifting through layers
I prefer the vagueness of watercolor
Particularly in conjunction with with an ink line from a dip pen
Whereby everything is organic and a little out of control --
Like my life
[SAMANTHA HAHN]
An artist consumed by the female form
She employs an expressive approach to watercolors
Allowing color to mingle with delicate lines
And melding abstraction with observation
[VIRGINIA JOHNSON]
I love the way a wet brush soaks the paper and how vibrant the colors are
[ANNA EMILIA LAITINEN]
Weather, seasons, and landscapes are what inspire [her]
It feels natural to observe what happens around me in nature
How things are connected to each other
How they make each other possible
Patterns and colors come with the weather outside
And they are reflected in my cup of green tea
[DAIRE LYNCH]
Strives to capture the essence of a person --
His or her personality, his or her energy
[FABRICE MOIREAU]
Who began to create watercolors on pages of spiral notebooks
During a trip in Czechoslovakia in 1987
Always from life never from photographs
[JANE MOUNT]
I’m not sure you can tell a book by its cover
But you can learn a lot about a person from the covers of their books
[AMY PARK]
Watercolors, architecture, good paper, straight lines
Looking at abstract paintings
Color theory
Composition
Buildings I see everyday and ones I have never seen
Yoga
Walking through new cities
My camera, museums.
Every painting requires a meditative state
[CATE PARR]
It’s the mistakes and the unexpected that make this medium so alluring
[ISADORA REIMAO]
I like the antithesis of fascination-fear, beauty-nightmare, and sweet terrible
[BECCA STADTLANDER]
Creating a feeling on paper is [a] challenge
Every environment has an inexplicable essence
[JOHN NORMAN STEWART]
To me, diversity equals freedom and artistic exploration
[PAOLO TERDICH]
[His] art is both realistic and mysterious
His painted human figures convey intimacy and psychology
My intention is to pick out the psychology of the characters and suffuse them with sensuality
My figures are never portrayed with other individuals
To emphasize the loneliness of contemporary human being
[JENNY VORWALLER]
Watercolor has a multi-faceted personality, like a mystery I will never solve
Watercolors bring spontaneity and feeling of surrender
I see a painting as a continuous immersion into a language I call my own
March 15, 2014
This is not a book you read as much as one you look at. Think of it this way: You hold in your hands a portable gallery of the portfolios of various artists who play with watercolor. As with any gallery viewing, I loved some work more than others, but overall am inspired by seeing how far these artists have pushed the medium in their work.
September 12, 2013
Cheerful book of watercolor paintings.
Amy Ross, Jane Mount, Anna Emilia Laitinen, and Dear Hancock?
I'm looking at you.
Amy Ross, Jane Mount, Anna Emilia Laitinen, and Dear Hancock?
I'm looking at you.
January 6, 2015
Great book, beautiful paintings. Very inspiring.
June 1, 2015
Super inspirational. This book made me buy watercolor even if I don't know how to use it.
October 24, 2015
An inspirational collection of contemporary watercolour paintings. My favourite works are those of Virginia Johnson; very feminine and beautiful to look at.
January 31, 2017
Lovely overview of a bunch of artists who use watercolor as their medium of expression. A few of my favorites are Amy Ross, Paolo Terdich, Danny Gregory, Jane Mount and Fabrice Moireau.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews