Pilots and watercolorists have much in common: they’re flying on their own and nothing can help them but their thorough knowledge of their craft~ John Pike

If you are attempting to paint with watercolor, great adventures and excitement lie ahead, and, of course, great disappointments. However, if you’re willing to give it an honest attempt, it is the most rewarding of all the mediums. It is both exciting and challenging. It is exciting because watercolor has an “action” all of its own. It is challenging to see how much of this diabolical “action” we can learn to guide and control through the hard work (and fun) of finding out exactly what it is that makes watercolor tick.

An artist learns that in most media, the manipulation of the paints is known as “technique” and learned with practice, study and patience. Sadly, in the crafty medium of watercolor, they’re known as tricks. However, through study, practice, and much patience, an artist can learn the fundamentals, the mechanics, and why watercolor behaves the way it does – what it takes to control it as it moves, crawls, and fights back.

As an artist, you are something a little bit special in the eyes of the average person. You mean no harm because you are a lover of beauty with the ability to accept the new and the strange. It matters not whether you paint realistic or abstract. Remember to always keep an open mind and heart with a healthy curiosity.

The farmer I talked to about wanting to paint his house and barn thought I was “nuts.”

“Nothing ’round here much of beauty,” he said.

After seeing the paintings, Winter Kindling and Winter Farm, he said, “Showed a lotta respect for the place.”

“It deserves respect,” I replied. Remember, you are always painting on someone’s property. Let your paintings reflect your respect.