ArtistsNetwork.com 39time and found that the medium complemented his landscape expression.
“With watercolor, I could be at ease and relax when painting architectural
landscapes,” he says.
Naing doesn’t like to overplan his work; instead, he lets his mood and the
surroundings guide him. He fi nds that this approach is more conducive to
creating a successful painting. “After all, watercolor itself is unpredictable,” he
says. “When I paint, I’m interested in patterns, colors and human energy. I’m
drawn to the country’s blazing sunlight and luminous sky, as well as light and
shadow, and the dynamic movement of people going about their business
against the architecture in the background.”
“It’s a delightful challenge to paint en plein air,” the artist continues. “I pre-
fer to work in morning light, which, to me, is the best time of day to paint.
I always fi nish my work on-site, stopping only when there’s nothing left to say.
Back in the studio, if I’m motivated to replicate the scene, I rely on my memo-
ries and observations, as well as the piece I created en plein air. Yet, it’s always
an entirely new painting.”
Naing hopes that by painting Myanmar’s architecture, he’s also making a
record of the country’s political changes. Th ere are an increasing number of
art movements, events and activities in the country. At the same time, its
artists are beginning to travel the world. Naing’s travels have shown him that
Western nature and landscapes are completely diff erent than those in Asia,
but he remains true to his experiences. “I want to continue to share the
unique beauty of the Myanmar landscape from my own perspective.”
Toolkit
“Art materials in Yangon are
expensive and scarce, but I use
the best that I can obtain.”
SURFACE- “I work on Arches and Saunders
paper. I don’t soak the paper; I just
tape it directly onto the board.”
PAINT - “I prefer Winsor & Newton and
Daniel Smith. I can’t paint without
Daniel Smith’s ultramarine blue.”
BRUSHES - “I use Chinese-made brushes that
are made for calligraphy and
traditional watercolors. I find that
I prefer them so that I can make
soft strokes.”
— Myint Naing
Yangon Downtown No. 1
(watercolor on paper, 30x22)