Why Paint in Watercolour?
The watercolour medium seems to inspire a deep passion among many people around the globe. As an artist who paints in watercolours I feel I am a part of a worldwide 'society' united by the medium.
The great charm of watercolour painting such as landscape painting is its full range of possibilities of self-expression. The magic of the medium is often described by its special qualities such as transparency, spontaneity and speed.
Transparency
The colour on the palette and the paper is like a slice of glass. I can see through it to the white surface of the paper. This is essentially due to the fact that it is tinted water which is brushed into the paper. Similar to a ray of sunshine passing stained glass, the light shines through the wash, reaches the white paper and bounces back through the colour. Light is the essence of watercolour painting. This is why its is the best suited medium to express light and atmosphere in landcape and seascape subjects.
Spontaneity and Speed
Watercoulors dry quickly. Once my brush touches the paper I know I need to work quickly and freely with a few rapid and often bold strokes. This creates fresh, dynamic and spontaneous feeling of the painting. But it seldom happens without planning my picture - I need to decide what I want to do, work with confident strokes, then pause and wait to let the paint dry.
