Love Watercolor?

I visited Michael Pearson’s show “For the Love of Watercolor”.  I was drawn in by the show name.  I hate watercolor.  Decades ago I took a watercolor art class and did horribly.  I decided the challenge of mastering this medium was something I could live without.  I also gained a true appreciation for what it takes to do watercolor well.  Too often I find works lacking in depth, contrast, texture and density.  With this I hear the excuse, “…But it’s just watercolor”.  The lack of fundamental visual elements in a work is due to the artist not the medium.  Good art is good art.

Good art was evident in Pearson’s work, “Jeffrey Long Ago.”  The piece loosely reminded me of a work by Lyonel Feininger, “The Glorious Victory of the Sloop “Maria”.  The strong geometric shapes and line unify and draw you into this piece.  Pearson’s work had a similar affect but the subject was a portrait of a man that offered contrast in fine, softer detailed lines of the face.  The hue was lovely.  The essence of a human being was captured brilliantly. 

Another piece by Pearson stood out, “Afternoon Shadows.”

 This severely cropped perspective offered an interesting view of the architecture.  Don’t be fooled into thinking this was a small piece. The scale was impressive (roughly 24x18) and added to the visual experience of this work.  Two aspects disturbed me:  the faded balustrade in the horizon and the direction of the light source.  However, these aspects did not distract from the creative, artistic execution of “Afternoon Shadows.”

When visiting a show it sometimes pays to have a general look around.  You might discover more watercolor works to enjoy.  “Felicity” by Atelier on Bay artist, Pam Hagan, was a delightful piece.  Hagan captures the joy and innocence of this child beautifully.  The soft hue, shadowing and fine detail in this work were a pleasure to behold. 

In a conversation with the artist, I mentioned that portraits could present a challenge for gallerists.  The figure must be appealing to clients that have no connection to the person portrayed.  These two portraits by Hagan and Pearson were of a quality that anyone can enjoy.

A sea turtle is swimming toward me.  Its shell is a beautiful mosaic of brown, black, gold, tan rounded squares distributed evenly on the hard semi-circle of armor.  Flipper legs in paddle motion propel the creature through a sea of blue, green, dark turquoise.  The extended head and neck look pliable but strong, and the deep, dark eyes are curious, kind, knowing...

Paul Rossmann "Blues Brothers"

“Animals We Love” is the current Beaufort Art Association show.  The sea turtle on large scale canvas is a show stopper.  The artist commands the color values and detail that capture the essence of this animal in its world.  The colors are both bold and harmonious.  The life-like scale should shock, but instead it is serene, quiet.  I am swimming with the turtle deep beneath the sea in a place absent of sound.  It makes me smile.

 A little gem is a pastel entry of a white egret, wings stretched out, landing in a background of dark tropical foliage.  The contrast of light and dark is dramatic.  But the artist compounds the dramatic. Painstaking layers of dark green values of geometric quality are used to create the background foliage.  Shadows play in the foliage. The white egret in the foreground is elegantly, stylized.  Light pierces through its plumage making the bird translucent, soft.  The artist’s eye reminds us not to take nature’s simple moment in time for granted.

 
Barbara Hunt "Landing"

The show is colorful, nicely displayed and well lit.  The staff are friendly, welcoming and available.  The relaxed, casual atmosphere make looking at art fun.  It could be fun.  The art is hung randomly, disconnected.  This is disturbing, annoying.  A local, members-only show will feature art of a wide range in quality.  Many artists aren’t.  Even lack-luster art, when hung in context, can provide a pleasant viewing experience.  Further, the show is compromised by including art that does not have animals as a subject matter.  The purpose and intention are absent in this exhibit.

Showing works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel and photography together affect the pace of this art experience in a positive way.  Each medium demands different “seeing” from the viewer as we look for what moves us.  The randomness, in respect to the media, adds interest and I appreciate the challenge.