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A study in light, color, and movement, the seaside provides endless inspiration for watercolor painters.
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Thursday, June 16, 2022

By the Seashore

By Kelly Kane

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A study in light, color, and movement, the ever-changing nature of the seaside provides endless inspiration. From crashing waves and colorful seaside villages to figures in action, the scenes depicted here capture the many moods of the place where land meets sea.

"Sea Swell Point Lobos" (watercolor, 4 x 12 1/2 in.) by Barbara Tapp

"Surf Fishing" (watercolor, 8 x 10 in.) by Poppy Balser

"Camogli, Italy" (watercolor, 9 x 13 in.) by Cindy Briggs

Working en plein air, Barbara, Poppy, and Cindy had the added joy of painting with the breeze in their hair and the smell of salt water in the air. But painting on location has its challenges, and isn’t always possible. So how do you keep your seaside scene fresh and lively if you have to work from a reference photo? For the scene below, Michael Holter was able to work from a less-than-perfect photo by adding and deleting elements to improve the composition. He also broke free from the restraints of the photo reference when it came to making choices about color and depth, and kept his brushstrokes loose for a painterly feel.

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Michael Holter’s photo reference

"Pacific Light" (watercolor) by Michael Holter

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Ambassador of the Week: Laurie Goldstein-Warren

By Kelly Kane

Laurie Goldstein-Warren first learned about using a mouth atomizer years ago from John Salminen in a workshop he gave on painting abstracts. "I loved that you could create interesting textures when viewed up close, but from a distance, everything looked so smooth," she says. "I started using the atomizer to play down areas in my cityscapes, such as at the edges of the paper, using a violet mixed with my Antwerp blue and quinacridone rose. Eventually, I decided to see how far I could get through a composition using only my atomizer and no brush, and it’s a process I’ve come to love. Working this way requires a lot of planning, but there’s no other way to create the unique look I’m able to achieve in my paintings."

Laurin McCracken, Treasure (watercolor on paper, 14x28)

"I painted ‘Chinatown Shadows #2’ with a limited palette of four colors, emphasizing value shapes. I also used complimentary colors on the painting to make the fire escape pop."

Join our community of ambassadors from all over the world and help spread the word about American Watercolor. Invite your friends to subscribe and if five sign up, you can enter your work for the opportunity to be featured to thousands of subscribers in an upcoming newsletter.

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