46 Watercolor artist | OCTOBER 2019
ON EXPRESSION
Kuo: We all have our own ways of
communicating. Painting is an art,
and is just another channel for art-
ists to realize their hearts and to
share with others. Often, I hear
comments that my paintings are
“tight.” I might be explaining every-
thing more clearly than in traditional
watercolor, but it’s my personal way
of expressing myself.
Th e reason I paint on a large surface
is for the challenge. Few watercolorists
have escaped this size limitation.
Large paintings off er broader excite-
ment as there’s no fi xed pattern and
no limitation.Zhang: What I care about most is
how to translate the character and
charm of my fl oral subjects into my
paintings. I paint from a live still
life setup and some photo refer-
ences. Th e still life setup allows for
direct observation which encour-
ages more honesty in terms of color
and color temperature.
I like to convey my ideas with
bold marks and an expressive
approach to color. I lay down a dark
background with color washes. Th is
process allows me to see the high-
light details and the lightest
sections. Th en, I try to keep the
other layers thin and pure.It’s important to be able to control
the water and the interactions of cool
and warm tones. I fi nd that’s the way
to see and convey the eff ects of the
strong light.ON COLOR
Kuo: Colors can alter a viewer’s mood
or feelings about a painting. Although
I paint a single subject matter, each
piece has its own individual connota-
tion. In order to invite the rich
atmosphere of the lotus pond, the
impression of cold and warm colors
must merge cohesively. I want my
lotus ponds to convey calm, so view-
ers want to observe longer.