Watercolor Artist - USA (2019-08)

40 Watercolor artist | AUGUST 2019

NEAR and FA R

ANGUS McEWAN, WHO BELIEVES A PAINTING SHOULD WORK

BOTH FROM A DISTANCE AND UP CLOSE, SKILLFULLY USES COMPOSITION

AND TEXTURE TO DRAW IN VIEWERS.

By Louella Miles

T

here are many things that

fascinate in an Angus

McEwan painting. Th ere’s the

light, which varies according

to the part of the world in which

he fi nds himself. Th ere’s the texture—

the depth of which is rare in water-

color. Th ere’s the composition, which

always takes you on a journey. And

then there’s the minute attention to

detail. To each aspect there’s a story

attached. But fi rst, a bit about the

artist himself.

WORKING WITHOUT

GROUND RULES

McEwan grew up in Scotland, where he

still lives. He’d wanted to be an artist

since he was 5 years old, and that desire

drove everything he did at school and

all that he wanted to do in life.

“I was born in the early ’60s, when

we didn’t have as many distractions,”

he says. “When I went with my parents

somewhere, I’d take along a sketchpad

and pencils, whiling away the time by

drawing. I got a lot of pleasure from

it—and a lot of encouragement. If you

LEFT

Colour of Time

(watercolor on

paper, 17x12)

RIGHT

Tea Break

(watercolor on

paper, 22x15)