Debbie Cannatella

You've Got Mail, 20" x 22"

As much as Debbie Cannatella admires watercolor techniques that show soft abstractions and seem to flow with wild abandon, her natural style is to paint tight and detailed realistic works and to incorporate well-defined geometric shapes in her non-objective works. A 25-year career as a senior highway designer is evidenced in her love of geometry, linear movement, and linking pathways.

Old Salt, 32" x 26"

Debbie began painting in watercolors at the age of 15 and has developed her skills through reading, painting, participating in critique groups, and taking workshops with artists she admires. As a norm, she works in transparent watercolor, occasionally using acrylic in a transparent manner. She works from still-lifes, photos, and sketches; lately she has been incorporating more symbols and imagery in her work, weaving a story as she paints.

Shooting for the Stars, 32" x 26"

Aloha, 38" x 30"

Frequent moves required by her husband's career have taken Debbie from large, busy, gallery-filled cities to a small town where she spearheaded the development of an arts coalition and fine art gallery, and back to a major urban center. With each move, she finds the local watercolorists and builds her niche in the community. She has taught workshops and private classes and is active in numerous local arts organizations wherever she lives. A signature member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society, her work appears in Chris Unwin's book Artistic Touch 4 (2010).

Grapes Durand, 32" x 26"

Please visit Debbie's blog to learn more about her work and follow her profile link to her website.

Share|

Andy Evansen

Daybreak at Shem's Creek, 14" x 19"

Largely self-taught, Andy Evansen was drawn to watercolor after acquiring a Charles Reid book on figure painting when he was in high school. Interested primarily in the landscape, he has taken workshops from renowned artists such as Skip Lawrence, Eric Weigardt and Alvaro Castagnet. Andy observes, "They instilled in me the delicate balance between painting loosely yet convincingly through strong shapes and good design, and that is what I now pass on to my students. Any scene is a possible painting for me, provided the light and shapes attract my eye. The struggle to master a medium that is best when left to 'do its own thing' will, I'm sure, keep me humbled and excited for years to come."

Huddle Up, 10" x 14"

House on the Hill, 10" x 14"

Andy has been painting watercolors for almost 20 years and now paints and teaches around the world. He has made recent painting trips to China, Europe, Mexico, and Canada and will be teaching a workshop for the Southwestern Watercolor Society in Dallas in mid-October. His work has appeared in several magazines -- International Artist, Watercolor, and Watercolor Artist. In 2011, Andy will be a guest artist at the Plein Air Painters of America Exhibition and Sale in Stockton, California. His work can be seen at Segil FIne Art in Monrovia, California and at the Wilcock Gallery in Excelsior, Minnesota.

The Sampan, 7" x 10"

Fishing From Shore, 10" x 14"

Please jump to Andy's website to see more of his work.

Share|

Solveig Rimstad

Apple Blossom, 13" x 19"

Encouraged by her practical father, Solveig Rimstad entered the work world as soon as she finished high school, putting aside dreams of attending art school. But she continued to draw and sketch and after a period of illness in mid-life forced her to quit her job, she began to paint seriously in watercolor. She credits her good friend Aud Rye, a wonderful artist in her own right, with pushing her in the right direction, and she also took workshops in Norway with Americans Carol Carter -- whose work has always been exceptional to her -- and Rose Edin -- from whom she learned a lot of color theory. For a long time, in addition to classes, Solveig painted 12 hours a day to improve her skills. She works in transparent watercolor, usually layering on 6-8 washes, and she blends her paints on the surface of the paper to create vibrant color.

Trumpet Flower, 16" x 10"

Coconuts, 30" x 22"

Solveig continues to take workshops for technical development and also teaches in her home studio as well as traveling to give weekend workshops. She has had a number of exhibitions, both locally and in other places, including an exhibit at the Norwegian Seaman's Church in Los Angeles in 2002. Her work has been published in the Norwegian art magazines Kunst for Alle and Decor and has been included in two other books. Her paintings are held in private and public collections; she is currently showing work at Gallery 104 at Sandane, in the west part of Norway.

In 2009, Solveig and her friend Aud published a beautiful book of their floral paintings titled Blomster -- Naturens eget festfyrverkeri which translates to "Flowers -- Nature's own Fireworks."

Luke, 11" x 14"

Mother, 16" x 13"

Please visit Solveig's website to see more of her paintings and to get information on ordering her book.

Share|

John Maslen

9-11 Preamble, 20" x 28"

John Maslen's artistic works occupy three distinct niches -- architect, watercolorist, and children's book illustrator. John attended Rhode Island School of Design, and worked as an architect for many years, receiving an American Institute of Architects Honor Award. Then, hired on by his wife in the mid-1970s to help with her books for young readers, he served as illustrator, publisher, and marketing person as they created the very well-regarded Bob Books -- designed to teach reading to young children. As the popularity of the books soared, they joined forces with the Scholastic, Inc. publishing group in 1993. John continues to be involved with Bob Books, now serving as co-manager with his daughter Lynn.

By the Dawn's Early Light, 20" x 28"

Mask I, 20" x 28"

Throughout his long careers in architecture and book illustration, John continued to paint and exhibit his watercolors, winning awards at every level during the past 30 years and earning signature status in the National Watercolor Society (in 2000) and Master Status in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America in (2009).

Marinal III, 20" x 28"

Because most of John's work is not available online, and because he is one of the few people I have encountered who works in transparent watercolor to create mostly non-objective paintings, I've decided to present more than the usual number of pieces on the blog this week. I hope you enjoy this overview of his work.

Marinal V, 20" x 28"

Marinal VI, 20" x 28"

Fish IV, 20" x 28"

Suspense I, 20" x 28"


Suspense III, 20" x 28"

Field Storm, 20" x 28"

French Harbor, 20" x 28"

Share|

Kathleen Ballard

Pond Lilies, 9" x 12"

Kathleen Ballard strives to depict the serene and elegant side of nature, whether focusing on a beautiful flower, a garden landscape or a water surface. She chooses themes that emphasize light-struck objects, vibrant color, and plentiful detail. Many of her paintings are inspired by visits to botanical gardens near her home -- The Huntington Library, the Descanso Gardens, and the Los Angeles Arboretum. Primarily a studio painter, she works from her reference photos to create her drawings and then develops her paintings with layers of color to create depth and form.

Cactus Pears, 15" x 28"

Rose Garden, 16" x 22"

Although she has been drawing and painting since she was a child, Kathleen began her journey with watercolor when she attended her first class at Otis Parsons; she has been passionate about the medium ever since and has taken many workshops over the years. She worked as a signwriter for many years -- most of those in the motion picture industry -- leaving her position at Paramount Pictures in 2005 to make art full time. She is an affiliate of several watercolor societies, from local to national, and has been exhibiting her work and winning awards for a number of years; she received her signature in the National Watercolor Society in 2009. Kathleen's work was featured in the April 2010 issue of Watercolor Artist magazine.

Roses for Trish, 7" x 10"

Yellow Blooms, 11" x 18"

Please visit Kathleen's website to see more of her work.

Share|

Susan Abbott

Fleet Summer, 40" x 60"

In Susan Abbott's view, one thing all artists have in common is a love of "just making things." She grew up in a family that encouraged her early interest in both art and crafts and she dropped out of high school in her hurry to get to art school. Although she never took watercolor classes, she began concentrating on transparent watercolor early in her career, attracted to its vibrant color and spontaneity. During the 1980s and 90s, she focused on large-scale, complex works combining still life, landscape, decorative patterns, and graphic elements into unique compositions that joined intense realism with abstract design.

Fruits and Fields, Provence, 15" x 22" (diptych)

Piero and Pitchers, 22" x 30"

Susan also uses watercolor in plein air landscape painting. In her words, "Rather than constructing a still life over a span of weeks, a plein air landscape requires immediate decisions, emotion, gesture, and being 'in the moment' with a medium. I love this. In many ways, I find working quickly outdoors more challenging than building a painting slowly in the studio." Although she paints watercolor landscapes on her frequent travels to teach workshops, she is currently doing studio work in oils on a series of multi-panel still lifes and landscapes and finds that her long use of transparent watercolor has changed her approach to oils.

Clouds Over Lavender, 14" x 14"

Susan graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA and MFA from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and has worked as a professional artist since then -- exhibiting in galleries and museums around the country. She has taught watercolor classes at MICA as well as teaching workshops in Europe, India, and the U.S. Her work has been featured in Watercolor Artist (cover story, October 2009) and The Artist's Magazine (January 2010) in addition to many other publications including The Washington Post, American Artist, International Artist, and Watercolor Magazine; she has also been featured on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show. She has been the recipient of grants from the Vermont and Maryland Arts Councils and of numerous private and public painting commissions, and her work is represented in numerous corporate and individual collections.

Vista, Joucas, Provence, 14" x 20"

Please go to Susan's website for more information on her paintings, workshops, and two popular blogs.

Share|