Rachel Rubin Wolf - Splash 14: Light & Color

Morning Cyclist | Fealing Lin

15 21 (38cm 53cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper

Although portraits are my favorite subjects for watercolor, I also love the energy I get from painting landscapes. For portraits, I take a Zen approach, glazing layer after layer of transparent washes; for city and landscape, I rely on a very limited number of brushstrokes to tell the story. Between the two subjects and techniques, Ive discovered a necessary balance in my painting life. Working from a photo, I simplified the silhouetted shapes and took the opportunity to play with color inside those shapes.

There are no two words that describe watercolor like light and color. In fact these two art elements are watercolors essence. The breathtaking joy that prompts many watercolor painters to paint is awakened in a moment of wondera glimpse of backlit hair, rays streaming through a window, a dark purple shadow against a golden tree.

Jan Archuletas moment happened when she saw echinacea glowing in the sunlight and the upper petals cast dramatic shadows on the lower petals. Kim Johnson saw a man whose sunglasses and hat left him nearly entirely in shadow, but I loved how the strong cast shadows sharply defined his face and shoulder.

For Dave Maxwell, An ancient English motorcar with chrome surfaces reflects midday sunlight from a surrounding enclosure of buildings, providing shapes for whimsical abstract designs. Preparing for breakfast, Frank Spino was captivated by color while watching his wife squeeze oranges over the ribbed dome of the juicer when one of those longed-for lightning bolts of inspiration struck.

In northwest China, the combination of warm and cool creates a rich, luminous feeling of rays for Wen-Cong Wang, while Fealing Lin creates a saturated peachy light to make her viewer feel the relaxation and warmth she experienced. Jimmy Tablante was inspired by the deep emotive colors combined with the strong contrast he saw while walking near a park in Honolulu.

There is nothing that so inspires us as the light and color all around us. I hope that the wonderful artworks collected here will stir you to take note of your own inspirations, whether in an exotic place or in your own kitchen before breakfast.

Rachel Rubin Wolf

Tulips | Keiko Yasuoka

10 15 (25cm 38cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper

I waited for the early afternoon sunlight to bathe the tulips through the kitchen window. The highlight in the flowers is the pure white of the paper. Many layered washes were applied to create the soft and transparent colors in the petals.

Abundance | Kathleen Alexander

27 39 (69cm 99cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Fabriano Artistico paper

I painted Abundance at a time when my husband and I had decided to make changes that allowed me to paint full time. I was expressing the sense of abundance I was feeling in my life. I took the reference photo for this painting in the Napa Valley. Abundance brings to mind the hot summer sun, the smell of ripening grapes and rich soil: the moment in time that Im trying to share with the viewer. The high contrast between the grapes in the light and those in cool shadow makes this painting shine.

Yellow Hibiscus | Kathleen Alexander

21 29 (55cm 75cm)

Transparent watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed Fabriano Artistico paper

Yellow Hibiscus began with three separate photos. I used Adobe Photoshop to piece together and resize each of the three floral elements in the composition. I established the shadows and veins in the petals first, using Cobalt Blue and Winsor Violet, then glazed over the petals using Aureolin, New Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold, Pyrrole Orange and Naphthol Red. By dropping in clear water, I took advantage of blooms to add highlights and more veining texture to the petals. I used Indigo in the background and carried it into the veins of the leaves. The contrast between overlapping petals and backlighting against the complementary Indigo background creates drama and radiance.

Spring Preview | Michelle Goll Smith

18 24 (46cm 61cm)

Transparent watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches

Every February the saucer magnolia trees come into bloom. I think of it as a preview of the upcoming spring season. My neighbor has one of these beautiful trees, which I have admired for years, hoping to paint one of those large, pretty blooms one day. Finally, I knocked on her door and she gladly cut a few of them for me. I placed one in a small crystal vase near a sunny window and loved how the petals lit up and the crystal cast colorful prisms. I made the background simple and quite dark so the magnolia would stand out and layered several transparent glazes for the rich color of the petals.

Glimpse | Jeanne R. Johnson

21 14 38 (55cm 37cm)

Transparent watercolor on 400-lb. (850gsm) cold-pressed paper

I walked through a shaded garden in Florida and came across this brilliant red flower wedged in a cool dark rocky cleft. The sun was just going down and the last narrow beam of sunshine spotlighted the foliage before the clouds shifted and pushed the image into darkness. I photographed the moment. I wanted to capture the contrast of light against dark, hard edges versus the soft edges, and the brilliant colors in the flower and leaves. I used a wet-into-wet technique, relying on sponges to get the texture of the rock and then back painting into these marks. I mix my blacks to keep them warm and vibrant.