52 Watercolor artist | AUGUST 2019
Designed to
Make a Splash
GET AN EARLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE UNIQUE WATERCOLOR
COMPOSITIONS FROM THE ARTISTS IN SPLASH 20.By McKenzie Graham
Watercolorist Frank Webb once said, “Composition is the gravity that holds a
painting together.” In the dynamic world of watercolor, a painting can be a precise
thing full of sharp borders and geometric shapes, or it can be an experiment left up
to the drips and spontaneous splashes of the medium. Either way, the best
paintings show great care in the handling of their compositions, and a little
thought goes a long way—as these paintings demonstrate. Take special notice of
the repeating motifs, intersecting lines and object placement in these images,
and suddenly they’ll come alive with layers of visual significance.Marcia
Murray
Chapin, S.C.
Avian Artistry (watercolor
on paper, 22x30)
When I fi rst saw this
nest, I had only time
enough to take a
quick picture. It was
abandoned and
weatherworn, but
I thought it had good
form, and I admired
the little birds that
had created such a
work of art. I painted
intuitively.