ArtistsNetwork.com 55Th e cobblestones, according to Hanson, are the most dif-
fi cult part to paint, but also the most rewarding. “Th ere’s
a certain amount of perspective in them,” he says, “but it’s
also like working on an abstract painting because they’re
just patterns.” Refl ections, especially on wet cobblestone,
can get complex because “there are many colors happening.
I might start by painting white and then add color over it
for some areas, then drybrush over that for the details. It’s
layering and more layering. I may work an hour and only
get an inch done.”
Hanson, who studied art education at the University of
Northern Iowa and earned his master’s degree in studio art
(painting) from Minnesota State University in 1976, has
never taken a watercolor class but has taught many since
gaining experience working in the medium. “In school, my
painting classes were all focused on acrylic and oil, and
I spent most of my time painting abstract images because
that was the thing to do at the time,” he says. He started
painting representational watercolors around 1982—in
his spare time when he wasn’t teaching—to have a solvent-
free painting experience. “I handle the watercolor like
I handled the oil paint,” he says. “I’ve never really followed
traditional watercolor technique.”Hanson establishes
a more intimate
mood for Ristorante
Al Duello (water-
color on paper,
18x24), in which a
lone fi gure looks over
a menu. Hanson
didn’t arbitrarily add
the woman to the
scene; she was there
when he took the
photo. “The
overhead light
creates a sense of
isolation,” he says.LIGHT AND
COMFORT
IN THE STUDIO
“If I’m not comfortable,
I can’t spend much time
working,” Hanson says.
He draws and paints at
a large table that he
built in his home studio.
The other essential is
good lighting. The
entire north side of his
studio is made of glass,
and he uses fluorescent,
color-corrected light
tubes situated 24 inches
above the surface of his
worktable. “There’s a
lot of light, but no
glare,” he says. “If
I don’t have good light,
it’s difficult to paint.”