Jonathan Frank

From the Beginning, 21" x 25"

Jonathan Frank spent his earliest years playing in the canyonlands of western Colorado, and out of that experience, he developed a life-long passion for western lands and the desert. His subject matter is clearly a direct outgrowth of that, but his distinctive style was the result of an early experiment for a high-school art class.

Ephemeral Pool, 19" x 29"

As Jonathan tells it, "The practice of outlining my paintings began as a spontaneous, extra-curricular experiment on a high school art class assignment. Born of sheer teenage boredom, I was compelled to take a ballpoint pen to a rather bad watercolor abstract and just outline the whole thing. I found that the process of doing this was completely relaxing, and simultaneously exciting, and the result was visually striking. It made my bad painting 'kinda cool.' I was so impressed with the look of this that I adopted the concept into my general artistic thinking from that day forth. Nearly twenty years would pass before I started painting seriously, but when I did, this was my starting place. This was my style and I never questioned it.

"The outline has since become much more stylized and refined, as well as poignant. I now use a Rapidograph pen with India ink for precision and permanency. The outline also helps to give the whole piece a clean, unified appearance, as well as to emphasize the sheer strength of my subjects. This all results in what I call High-Definition Watercolor."

Convergence of Memories, 21" x 29"

Owachomo, 14" x 21"

Jonathan has received well-deserved recognition for his unique works, consistently winning awards in national exhibitions as well as in various magazine competitions. His paintings are published in Splash 7 and 10 (North Light Books), and he was featured on the cover and in a full-length article in Watercolor Artist magazine in June, 2009. He is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Colorado Watercolor Society, the Western Colorado Watercolor Society, and the Texas Watercolor Society. His works are in both public and private collections.

Genesis Inviolate, 21" x 29"

Coming of Age, 25" x 25"

To see more of his art and learn more about his artistic accomplishments, please visit Jonathan's website.

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American Watercolor Masters -- Gary Bukovnik

Ecstatic Italy: Red Amaryllis, 30" x 20"

Cleveland-born and educated, Gary Bukovnik has made his home in San Francisco for over 25 years. Although he works in several media, he is probably best known for his monumental floral watercolors.

Beginning in early childhood, Gary was drawn to paint the flowers in the plant nurseries that surrounded his family home. However, he put this interest aside as an adult and began painting landscapes, until a perceptive gallery owner urged him to paint flowers. His early works were quite formal, frequently featuring controlled bouquets presented in simple, columnar glass vases.

Ladies Amongst the Thistles, 60" x 80" (diptych)

In 2003, the American Academy in Rome invited Gary to attend as a Visiting Artist, providing him with a room and studio for six weeks. During his stay in Rome, his work began to change -- becoming more free-spirited in nature -- and this change continued after his return to the States. Over time, his paintings have shifted to compositions that feature tipping vases and tumbling fields of flowers, conveying a joyful energy.

Flying Tulips, 40" x 60"

Ecstatic Italy: Flying Roses, 30" x 20"

Monet's Dream, 40.5" x 22.5"

Gary's work has been featured in numerous solo gallery and museum exhibitions throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Japan, and beginning this June, his paintings will be featured in seven exhibitions in China over the next two years. His work is represented in diverse public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. There are two books on his work -- Flowers: Gary Bukovnik Watercolors & Monotypes, published in 1990; and Gary Bukovnik Watercolors, released in October 2005.

Tipping Arrangement, 40" x 28"

For more information about Gary and his work, please visit his website. I strongly encourage you to watch the video interview -- a wonderful insight into the life and work of this charming and very talented artist.

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Amanda Spencer

Peonies, 20" x 20" (51cm x 51cm)

Although British artist Amanda Spencer attended art school and qualified as a graphic artist, her work life headed in an unrelated direction. However, she retained her deep interest in art and, in 2005, she began to paint in watercolor -- teaching herself by studying books and DVDs. At about the same time, she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which periodically disrupts her ability to concentrate and paint due to severe fatigue.

Despite these challenges, she has produced a wonderful body of work over the past six years, with both floral and people/places as her subject matter. Her latest work is a series based on reflections – particularly windows showing the new reflecting the old, but she continues to paint florals, particularly the small pieces which she intersperses between her larger paintings. She writes, "I love watercolour – the colours, the vibrancy and the unpredictability of the medium.... I hope that I have developed a style that incorporates the unique qualities that only watercolour can offer. I find it both a challenge and a joy to produce a painting which, in turn, inspires me to continue towards my goal of becoming a full time artist one day." She credits Nick Simmons for inspiration and for his encouragement of her work, in addition to her husband Dan's support and encouragement, which has given her the confidence to continue working through bouts of CFS.

Summer, 20" x 20" (51cm x 51cm)

Sunlit Roses, 20" x 27" (51cm x 71cm)

Amanda was juried into the inaugural Shanghai //Zhujiajiao International Watercolour //Biennial Exhibition in 2010 and was also selected to take part in The Society of Women Artists Annual London Exhibition. In 2011, her work will be shown in The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours 2011 Exhibition as well as The Society of Women Artists 150th Celebratory Exhibition.

Chrysanthemum, 20" x 20" (51cm x 51cm)

Pashley, 4.75" x 4.75" (12cm x 12cm)

Please visit Amanda's blog to see more of her work.

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Deb Ward

Blue Pitcher and Pears on Lace, 16" x 20"
fluid acrylic

It was the luminosity of watercolor that first drew Deb Ward to the medium. She got a late start on a painting career when she left the 9 to 5 work world in 1996 and fulfilled a long-held dream of learning to paint in watercolor. In 2004, she began teaching watercolor classes and, over the following years, she broadened her painting horizons by teaching herself to paint with fluid acrylics and casein. She now works in all three media.

Tulip Shadows, 21" x 28"
watercolor

Deb observes, "I love color and strive for striking, sunlit images.... My work rarely involves an actual figure, but often implies the human element." She often paints in series -- working from her own photo references to explore similar subjects or ideas in a realistic manner. Although she is always on the lookout for subjects when she's out and about, Deb has an ongoing series of simple still lifes incorporating glass and ceramic objects that belonged to her mother, as well as quilts and tablecloths made by her grandmother. She paints in her home studio and also enjoys a weekly painting date with friends.

Pink Peony, 21" x 29"
fluid acrylics

Wild Roses, 21" x 28"
watercolor

Deb is active in a number of local art groups in southeastern Indiana and the Cincinnati area; she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Art Club in addition to being the Chairperson for ViewPoint, a national exhibition sponsored by the club. She teaches classes for several organizations in her area and also gives workshops on technique in her home studio. She has shown her work in local, regional, and national exhibitions and has received numerous awards. In October 2008, she wrote an article about casein painting "Cay-What?" for CreateBetterPaintings.com -- Online Magazine for Artists, and in 2010, her work was published in The Best of America -- Watermedia, Volume II (Kennedy Publishing).

Muncie's Pride, 14" x 20"
watercolor

Go to Deb's blog to get the latest news from her studio.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Cindy Agan

Sisters, 15" x 24"

"My art career started with a box of crayons and a coloring book at the age of three and I have been honing my skills ever since!"

With the exception of a beginner's course, Cindy Agan is self-taught in watercolor, and being detail-oriented, she prefers a realistic approach to her subjects. Her work is influenced by interests that bring her joy -- people, animals, flower gardening, antiques, wine tastings, and architectural details -- and her paintings depicting children have been described as "evocative of Norman Rockwell." She favors a predominantly warm palette, applying numerous glazes of highly concentrated paint to achieve the intense and vibrant color characteristic of her work.

When I Grow Up, 15" x 24"

Cindy is the author of Painting Watercolors That Sparkle with Life (North Light Books) and a companion DVD, an excerpt of which has been included in 10 Top Painting Tips -- a DVD featuring artists from around the world. Her work has appeared in Splash: The Best of Watercolor -- books 6, 7, 9, and 10 -- and will be included in Splash 12 (release date, 2011). Her paintings have also been featured in A Celebration of Light: Painting the Textures of Light in Watercolor, Drawing and Painting People: The Essential Guide, and in two books in the Painters Quick Reference Series -- Birds & Butterflies, and Cats & Dogs.

A Moment in Time, 20" x 16"

Garden Angel, 23" x 15"

Her work hangs in numerous private and corporate collections in the U.S. and U.K. In addition, she has been juried into national and international shows and has won many awards. She is a signature member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society and recently won the President's Award at their 2010 Exhibition. Cindy is also a popular workshop instructor who teaches throughout the U.S. and Canada. She will be teaching at Art in the Mountains in Bend, Oregon this July.

Napa Merlot, 26" x 18"

Please go to Cindy's website to see more of her work and get more information about her art activities.

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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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Guy Magallanes

Two Bees in a Rose, 21" x 14"

Influenced by his Grandmother, Guy Magallanes paints images of landscapes and flowers -- subjects that we all pass daily -- but with heightened exaggeration for drama's sake as a result of his Grandfather's influence. He expresses how he sees each one -- full of life with a unique story to be shared -- as "images I get lost in and that take my breath away."

Guy counts the support and influence of his extended family as a catalyst in his development as an artist. He explains, "I grew up in the best creative environment a child could have. One of the best gifts I ever received was an entire roll of butcher paper at the age of five from my Aunt Celita. I made tons of drawings and some huge drawings, and the supply of paper seemed endless. She always had a painting she was working on in her kitchen, and to me that place was magical. And my grandparents had a huge influence on my character and how I see the world. My Grandmother showed me the gift of consistency -- to look for the surprises and regularity of each season -- and my Grandfather gave me the gift of innovation and wonderment. An avid storyteller, he made his adventures even more colorful each time they were retold."

Echeveria, 12" x 8"

Painting had always been a part of Guy's life as a hobby -- something to fill a creative need or a way to give a special gift to someone -- but after September 11, 2001, he realized that he wanted to change how he lived his life. Being laid off from a job he loved in 2002 gave him the opportunity to explore his passion for watercolor. He began taking classes, joined art groups and watercolor societies, and entered competitions. Elizabeth Kincaid became a mentor and friend after Guy took a workshop with her, and when he juried into the Redwood City Art Center, he met Joyce Faulknor and began a collaboration that has expanded into an exciting new venture -- Art2Art.

Alba Rosa, 8" x 12"

Building on the experience he gained giving painting demos for art societies, Guy moved into teaching when Joyce began working on her book for North Light Books and asked him to take over her classes. He now has a full teaching schedule of both weekly classes and regional and national workshops. His work was featured in both Splash 9 and Splash 10 (North Light Books), and he is one of 15 contributors to the book Watercolor Secrets (North Light Books, 2009). In 2007, Guy and Joyce won the West Coast Regional WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) award for the first episode of their instructional watercolor show Art2Art. They have since taped 14 episodes which will premiere on May 8, 2010 on the PBS station KCSM-TV, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Koi Study, 12" x 15"

Passage, 18" x 37"

Please jump over to Guy's blog to find out more about his work and link from there to his website.

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