The first time I used transparent watercolor, I started seeing the world through watercolor. When I see light reflecting off a piece of fruit or through spring, summer, or fall leaves, I see layers of watercolor, fit together to create the image.

We all see the world through our own unique combination of experiences. I have been fortunate to live in a rural environment in one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Through my paintings, I attempt to capture and share the beauty I sense (see, hear, smell, and feel) from those surroundings.

When I see something that strikes me emotionally, whether it be with color, light, contrast, shape, or a feeling of elation, joy, peace or isolation, I attempt to explain it with watercolor. Art allows us to communicate to cultures of the future and gives us emotional ties with the past. While words can be misconstrued, it is hard to create bias with a brush stroke.

Transparent watercolor is ground up pigment that when mixed with generous amounts of water will appear as a thin transparent wash of color that allows the passing of light through glazes of paint to reflect off the paper’s surface. As additional washes are applied, a visual compound of color develops, as the underlying color(s) interacts and adds to the upper layers. In a transparent watercolor, the only white spaces will be those areas of the paper that remain unpainted. Consequently, white areas in this type of painting must be carefully planned for and protected against unintentional coloring.

Because each pigment, by each manufacturer, has its own characteristics and properties, when pigments are applied, mixed, or layered, the results vary depending on those properties; the sequence in which they are applied; and the amount of water used, or not used. As a result, you could paint your whole life and never fully control it. I believe the unexpected results help mimic the chaos of nature and it’s surprises and create exciting challenges that keep life exciting!