42 Watercolor artist | APRIL 2019
D
irek Kingnok (zh-tw.facebook.
com/direk.kingnok) lives and
paints in rural Khon Kaen, a north-
eastern province of Th ailand, a
backdrop that complements the
soulful expression he hopes to cap-
ture through his watercolor practice.
Currently, Kingnok paints mostly
large works—some as large as 100
inches in length—depicting the
Bangkok Grand Palace, the sweeping
stretch of the Th ai Chao Praya River,
the rustic landscapes of Vietnam and
Myanmar, or the dark Kathmandu
nights under the radiant moon. Th e
award-winning painter graduated
with a degree in art education from
the Institute of Art, Khon Kaen
University, Th ailand.PAINTING FROM
HUMBLE ROOTS
Kingnok was raised in a farming
family, surrounded by an abundant
natural environment that he refuses
to leave. He believes that background
has grounded him to be an unpreten-
tious landscape artist.
“I don’t feel any pressure or experi-
ence diffi culty in painting a landscape
either at home in Th ailand or painting
en plein air during my travels abroad,”
he says. “It’s because I see not only the
scenes in front of my eyes, but also
experience them with all of my senses.
I enjoy being transported into a medi-
tative trance while recording beautiful
elements with watercolor.”
Kingnok embraces the knowledge
and infl uences of Western water-
color, and he follows and studies
diff erent techniques found on the
internet and in publications to
develop his skills further. He sketches
loosely using pencil and trusts his
judgment when it comes to colorDirek Kingnok
THAILAND
Fruit Shop
(watercolor on paper, 14x20)Kingnok’s studio
in Khon Kaen,
Thailand