Bill Hook

Low Tide – Staithes, 13" x 10"

After four decades as a successful and respected architect and nationally recognized architectural illustrator, Bill Hook is on the threshold of a whole new world of artistic expression. Breaking away from the exacting constraints of the commercial world, he is just beginning to experience the challenges and rewards of plein air work. A turning point came in 2007, when he received a fellowship to live and paint for two months in the tiny hilltown of Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy. In two months, he produced over 60 drawings and paintings. He returned to Civita in May, 2010 and then continued on to the small English fishing village of Staithes, where he enjoyed the changing weather and light of the Yorkshire coast. Although his work is informed and influenced by his architectural background, he now feels free to break away from realistically recording a scene and to focus more on the quality of light and the feeling of a place and time.

Church Street – Staithes, 13" x 10"

White House I, 10" x 6"

Bill was juried into the NWWS Annual Open Exhibition in 2009, and into the Richeson 75 Landscapes Show in both 2009 and 2010. In September, 2010, he participated in his first major plein air event -- the 5th Annual US Open in Coupeville, WA -- and had two pieces selected for the show. He received an Honorable Mention for one of those paintings and it also sold at the live auction. Bill continues to pursue both plein air and studio work. He currently has six pieces hanging in a collective show at The Artique Underground Gallery in Frederick MD.

Coupeville, 13" x 10"

Civita, 13" x 10"

Please go to Bill's website to see more of his work.

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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"

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Paula Fiebich

Venetian Gold, 23" x 30"

"I am visually creating in my head all the time. My art, my creativity has been with me since I arrived on the planet. It has taken many different forms along the way to evolve to its present day expressions."

Paula Fiebich has been making art for many years, but within the last five years, it has evolved to a greater level of awareness. She finds inspiration for her paintings in many different areas -- from a simple swirl of pattern in hand-blown glass to a classic masterpiece in a museum, from a bike ride on a local path to a stroll through the streets of Venice. She is particularly fond of the art and design of France and Italy and much of her work reflects things that have inspired her during travel in those two countries. Her eye observes the patterns in fabric, papers, and the abstract qualities in objects, and her love of color and detail shows prominently in her work.

Pierrot, 24" x 18"

Afterglow, 23" x 30"

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Paula has become a nationally and internationally recognized watercolor artist since winning the Gold Medal at the American Watercolor Society show in 2007. Although watercolor has always been her medium of choice in the fine arts, she has also worked in the commercial art world as a staff artist in the toy and craft industry and in the automotive industry, working in the design studios for General Motors. She recently returned to school to specialize in digital media and communication arts.

Hotel de Paris, 30" x 23"

In addition to her success in the American Watercolor Society exhibit, Paula's work has been accepted into National Watercolor Society and Transparent Watercolor Society of America exhibits. She has been published in Watercolor Artist magazine, and will be featured this year in Splash 11 (North Light Books) and in International Artist magazine.

Sentinels, 40" x 26"

Please visit Paula's blog to learn more about her work.

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Paul Jackson

Neon Rain

Paul Jackson's passion for dramatic light and shadow is the inspiration that drives him to paint. Although he choses subjects for their aesthetic beauty, it is the quality of light and the way a subject reacts to it that makes that subject exciting for him. He works in transparent watercolor because he finds it ideally suited to capturing the veils of light and luminous atmosphere for which his paintings are known. Each painting is a carefully orchestrated symphony intended to awaken the eye and offer a warmth to ignite the soul.

Because there is little margin for mistakes in watercolor, his paintings are rigorously planned through a series of sketches and drawings before he puts any paint to paper. Using thin washes, he optically mixes the paint on the paper, generally progressing in a light-to-dark approach but often reversing that process for muted patterns and details. On occasion, he enhances the painting with colored pencil or other mediums to achieve special effects, but for the most part, he enjoys challenging the limitations of watercolor and takes great delight in achieving the impossible with only basic materials.

Detour

Crosstown Traffic

Paul began painting in college at Mississippi State University. He received an MFA from the University of Missouri in 1992 and since then, his artwork has received top honors in national and international competitions and has graced the covers of dozens of magazines and books. His work has been featured on the cover of The Artist's Magazine four times in recent years, and in American Artist, Watercolor Magic, Watercolor Artist, and Watercolor, as well as in numerous well-known newpapers and in the broadcast media. Paul is also the author of Painting Spectacular Light Effects in Watercolor (North Light Books) and a well-known instructor, giving workshops around the world.

Hide and Seek

Paul was honored with signature membership in the American Watercolor Society at the age of 30 and is also a signature member of the National Watercolor Society. He won the Grand Prize in the “Paint Your Way to Paris ” competition and has been featured as one of the Master Painters of the World in International Artist magazine. In 2008, he was the featured speaker at the International Watercolor Masters Invitational in Lushan, China during the Olympic Games and in 2009, he served as an invited juror for the AWS annual international exhibition.

Enchanted Forest

Please go to Paul's blog to get the latest news and link from there to his website to see more of his paintings.

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Thomas Schaller

Alley - Venice, 12" x 9"

Thomas Schaller's love of watercolor began with an early dedication to the English landscape tradition and the French Beaux-Arts architectural discipline. Following more than 20 years as a very successful architectural designer and illustrator in New York City, he relocated to Venice, California and began to focus on fine art in 2006; his love of landscape, as well as our constructed environment, continue to inform his work in watercolor. He is particularly inspired by the idea of a "sense of place" -- the presence, memory, narrative, and especially the luminosity of the idea of buildings in both the rural and urban landscape, and he believes that the medium of transparent watercolor is unsurpassed in its ability to convey both the real and transient nature of the world around us.

Italian Street Scene, 12" x 9"

Tom has long been considered one of the foremost architectural illustrators in the world. In addition to winning many other awards, he is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize for excellence in the graphic depiction of architecture. He has authored two books: the best-selling -- and AIA Award of Merit winner -- Architecture in Watercolor, and The Art of Architectural Drawing. He has also lectured widely and hosted watercolor workshops. His work has been exhibited around the world, including at The Art Institute of Chicago; The American Society of Illustrators in New York City; the Aedes-East Gallery in Berlin, Germany; and in a mid-career retrospective at The Graham Foundation in Chicago, which hosts exhibits and lectures on architectural subjects.

Japan 2, 12" x 9"

As a fine artist, Tom has been recognized in American Artist and American Art Collector magazines. He is represented in Los Angeles by the Link Gallery, the Universal Art Gallery, and the Carter-Sexton Gallery, which will host his first one-man show in 2011. In addition to his memberships in numerous professional societies related to his architectural work, Tom is a member of AWS, NWS and the California Art Club and has been juried into recent CAC exhibitions, including their 2009 Centennial Exhibition. His work was also juried into the 2010 AWS exhibition and he will be featured in an article in the April issue of American Artist magazine.

London, 16" x 8"

Charles Bridge - Prague, 13" x 18"

Please visit Tom's blog to get the latest news and find links to his website and other venues.

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Andy Smith

Reflections in Red, 18" x 15"

Andy Smith's goal is to create paintings that capture subjects that other people overlook. Using transparent watercolors, he builds his realistic paintings with a series of washes, working with strong light and shadow to develop images that convey the mood and character of his subjects. In Andy's words, "I feel truly blessed with a gift, a talent to interpret what I see through watercolor paintings. My artistic journey has already surpassed my wildest dreams, and my journey continues as I paint daily. The creation of my daily blog has provided me with an opportunity to experiment with new subjects and to grow creatively. The added bonus has been a huge boost to my skill level above my expectations. I am not ready to call myself a master of watercolor because I realize the constant potential of growth. I believe it is all in the journey."

Chiaroscuro, 17" x 23"

Old Remedies, 13" x 16"

Andy is a self-taught artist. In lieu of formal training, he has developed his skills by studying the works of the masters, reading voraciously, and staying current in the world of art. He fine-tunes his talent with daily practice, discipline and dedication. As a professional painter since 1980, he has received many awards over the years, but he places more emphasis on his personal connection with clients. He enjoys sharing his love of watercolor and regularly gives presentations at local schools as well as demonstrating during the weekend art festivals he participates in throughout the year.

Waiting Room, 18" x 15"

Autumn View, 19" x 13"

Please visit Andy's blog to see his daily paintings and find out more about him and his work.