Photographs by Sana Rose
From left, 'Breadfruit Medley' by Jannette Eyles. and Patrick Waldemar's- 'Hidden Cove'.
Sana Rose, Contributor
THE ART of Watercolour is the latest offering of works by the Mutual Gallery and Art Centre.
The exhibition, which is part of The Art of... series, showcases 15 artists who use the watercolour medium. The Art of Printmaking and The Art of Photography are the show's predecessors.
The list of participants are Errol Allen, Jan Watson Altenhofen, Juliet Thorburn, Rex Dixon, Susan Clare, Milton George, Bryan McFarlane, Jannette Eyles, P. J. Stewart, Dorothy Henriques-Wells, Patrick Waldemar, Christopher Gonzalez, Gaston Tabois, Charmaine Lurch and Cuban artist, Eugenio D'Melon.
Of the group only three artists Henriques-Wells, Thorburn and Clare work with watercolour exclusively, while the others' interests also encompass oil painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography.
Technique aside, the visual temperament of the artists varies according to colour, subject and composition. The subtleties of watercolour are not lost with these artists but the degree of experimentation is modest.
The show's catalogue highlights technique in its short preamble and by doing so, promotes this aspect as its main thesis.
Generally, however, technique is secondary to subject. The images depicted range from abstraction to representation with a few combinations of the two.
Figures, still life, flora and fauna dominate with Allen. Tabois ventures into cityscape and semi-rural vistas.
VERSATILE
Watercolour, a versatile medium, can at first seem uncomplicated but the variables soon put this hasty judgment to rest.
The type, texture and preparation of the paper support the ratio of pigment to water and control of the brush to transform translucent layers of colour into form, all point to the skill and planning needed to use the medium, especially in cases where the artist's aim is to retain the white of the paper as light.
Painters work from light to dark and premature saturation of the pigment ruins the outcome. While most of the artists handle the medium fairly well, others derive greater impact in their pieces due to the range of effects.
Immediately, Patrick Waldemar comes to mind. His five paintings offer a warm, rich colour scheme coupled with textures achieved through manipulation of the paint and paper with techniques such as wet in wet (wet paper), wet on dry (dry paper) and, scraping/scraping and stippling.
P. J. Stewart, also versatile in her use of techniques, maintains our interest by meandering between abstraction and representation in Even Tide and Floppy Poppy and balances soft colour blends with the harder edges in her animal portraits while Eugenio D'Melon's figures rendered wet in wet, exhibit freshness especially in A Night with Madonna I & II.
Bryan McFarlane's single submission, Conversation with Two Thousand Grey Areas utilises grids from which figurative images emerge. While his technique is not as varied as those previously mentioned, the range of tones, density of pigment and the contrast of warm and cool colours attract our attention.
Errol Allen's swift eye and hand motions can be seen and felt in his pieces that give the impression of quick studies done on the spot.
Reminiscent of the "slice of life" Impressionist images of the 19th century, his images capture the "feel" of the scene. Rex Dixon opts for an entirely abstract mode, using his initial free form wet in wet backdrop to contrast and at the same time, harmonise with the more deliberate painted shapes that he pulls from the surface.
RESTRAINT
Jan Watson Altenhofen uses the sea as her inspiration tending toward semi-abstraction due to her focus on close-up views that reduce the ocean to its bare essentials shape and colour. However, she, like Thorburn, does not achieve much variation in application of paint.
Thorburn, who is far more methodical in her approach, is not given to spurts of experimentation. Her pieces could hold our attention longer but she restrains the paint considerably through the evenness of her application - she treats each leaf and flower of her flora theme, exactly the same. Her application is far too even because the images become flattened and even though she composes the images well, they still lack the charm and character she evidently intended.
The two still life pieces, The Ledger by Susan Clare and Breadfruit Medley by Jannette Eyles generate an aura of intimacy particularly in Clare's case where a story can be gleaned from the objects chosen. For them, observation of light and dark tones is important and the white of the paper functions as light.
POPULAR MEDIUM
The Art of Watercolour sheds a spotlight on a medium that is often overshadowed by oil and acrylic paints. The title presupposes an energetic and wide-ranging presentation of the medium but is somewhat tame in this regard.
Nevertheless, the show conveys to us that watercolour is a fairly popular medium among artists and those sensitive to its qualities can yield great images that can stand alongside their oil and acrylic counterparts.
The exhibition closes on March 19 and on March 18 viewers and enthusiasts will be treated to a demonstration/discussion/workshop beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the gallery.
