I have been inspired by paintings that have color, motion and a feeling of freedon or abandon. I admire Paul Klee (whimsical and colorful), Jackson Pollock's drip paintings and Morris Louis' poured "Veil" paintings of the '50's (motion and a letting go of restraints) and Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers (larger than life). I like Jean Grastorf's and Roland Roycraft's combination of abandoned pours and controlled realism. I pour for motion and freedom and add detail in realistic paintings and texture in abstracts while trying for a variety of shapes, values and colors.
Barb Bochenek joined CWA the year after she resumed her art education, in 1996. She has studied under nationally known local artists, Judy Greenberg and Karen Frey and had the opportunity to study under many prestigious artists from all over the country as well as abroad. “I am especially influenced by the artists who studied under Edgar Whitney. His teaching skill had to have been tremendous to have made such a wonderful impact in the watercolor field since so many of Edgar’s students have become nationally acclaimed artists and teachers themselves. They all stress the importance of what they learned from Edgar Whitney, the elements (rules) and principles (tools) of design.”
I have enjoyed painting for the past 30 years. I have been gathering inspirational material from my extensive travels, painting the local scenes here and abroad. Trying to capture the essence of the scene is exciting to me. These new subjects have inspired me throughout my painting career. I have studied under many nationally acclaimed artists. Their inspiration and knowledge have helped me earn awards. I have taught some watercolor on a one to one basis. Students inspire me to do more by researching and continually learning.
Victoria Chiofalo was born in Bombay, India and raised in Shanghai. In 1948 she moved to Argentina with her sister and father, a respected photographer. Her primary studies in art was at the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes.In 1963 she came to the San Francisco with her husband and four children. When they started college she resumed her studies at San Francisco City College in Fine Art. She was very passionate about her studies and decided that this was it.Victoria became member of Society of Western Artists where being Exhibit Director for over four years opened her doors to the Art world. She works in all medium. In 1999 they moved to the East Bay, bought their first home and Victoria joined the California Water Association working in watercolor and acrylic on paper. She loves gardening and above all, Roses. Her love for nature is a constant inspiration transported through her art towards the viewer.
After twenty years of being around boats, marinas, the bay and ocean as a Sailmaker and Boat Canvas Designer and Watercolor Painter, I am now devoting myself, full time, to capturing images of those water scenes and moods that I love in watercolor paintings. Come to my studio and my shows to see the quiet reflections, the sailing, the boats, the people, the birds and the animals that hang out around our water places in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Light and how it plays around objects, reflects off water and creates varying moods is fascinating to me. I love dawns and sunsets and the hot glare of midday sun. Fog and overcast days as well as clear bright light that makes images pop draw me in to explore what makes it all happen together. I have been a practicing artist since childhood. I began painting and drawing at a young age following in the footsteps of my Mother and Grandmother who were both accomplished artists. My skills were developed with art classes in high school, continued with classes every semester at UC Davis where I was a Biology major, and then after graduation with night school and weeklong workshops with artists including Helmut Schimdt, Charlotte Britton, Miles Batt, Irving Shapiro, Frank Webb, Arne Westerman and Karen Frey. I am a signature member of the California Watercolor Association. I have my paintings in collections both here in the USA and abroad. I’m teaching watercolor classes at the Frank Bette center in Alameda, CA.
web-site:www.margaretfago.com
The idea behind this painting came from a reference photo of a farmer’s marketplace. What drew my attention was the afternoon light cast on buildings, storefronts and people. The light’s reflection endows subtle color changes, and the varying arrangement of buildings allows for an interesting composition. The bustling activity within the market suggests busy lifestyles, and I wanted to capture the atmosphere by using exaggerated colors and modified compositions. I always try to paint subjects loosely and impressively. Freshness and fluency are the foremost considerations in my paintings. Simplifying all the details of the market scene was a big challenge, and my response to the subject drove me to paint loosely. I focused on overall shapes and tones rather than distinguished details. I executed in a suggestive and impressive way so that the details would be mostly inferred. The strong light cast a distinct shadow on the woman in the blue dress, making her a focal point in the painting.
I love bringing my experiences, images and impressions of my travels, people I’ve met, and local themes to life on paper. I am excited with the first strokes of paint I apply, and by the challenges of problem-solving inherent in the process of painting. My goal is to “push the envelope” of watercolor – in its pure form, and with mixed watermedia and collage. Much of my work has a loose, textural quality. I use vivid colors, strong images and design, and both representational and non-objective styles of painting to convey my ideas and feelings about subjects that interest me. Nature and the disappearing rural landscape are frequent themes. My watercolors have been exhibited in many juried shows in Washington, Oregon, and California, receiving several awards. My Painting, “Power Play” was awarded First Place in “Aquarius 2006 – Pacific Regional Exhibition.” The Muir Heritage Land Trust has selected my work to be presented to corporate and private donors, and I was accepted into “Bay Area Landscapes” at Filoli Garden Estate of the National Historic Trust. I received First Place in the CWA Art Concepts Gallery 2007 Show. My art has been featured in Watercolor Magazine. Venues that carry my work include: Gallery Concord, Concord, CA; Jessel Gallery, Napa, CA; Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA; Karen’s Kitchen & Gifts, Camano Island, WA; Gallery by the Bay, Stanwood, WA; and is in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. I find such joy in painting and it makes me happy when my work elicits a similar response in others.
I love to paint. That’s the bottom line. It’s exciting to see a painting appear on a piece of paper. I paint from photographs I take anywhere and everywhere—backyard, mountain trails, and travels. I especially enjoy working from close-up photos, including wildflowers and weeds. I have also been fortunate to take painting classes and workshops from some very gifted artist-teachers. My painting efforts have been rewarded with signature membership in California Watercolor Association (2007) and Northwest Watercolor Society (2007). Thankfully, the visual arts journey never ends; there are always more images to paint.
I enjoy all forms of water media. From exploring new techniques to settling down to some quiet hours working out a problem in the comfort of my studio, watercolor is always fresh and new. Recently I have been working in plein air once a week and find the challenge of painting in the moment a new and exciting experience. You never know what to expect. One of my favorite subjects in still life is painting rocks. I try to paint them so they come 'alive' and make people want to touch them. Painting rocks is like yoga for my mind. I also enjoy painting landscapes and doing figurative work. After ten years of exploring the subject of water media i still feel like a beginner. I try to learn something new every day. (painting title: 'Rocks Rock!' 30 x 22 unframed - prints available - any size ).
Painting serves as my meditation, a chance to glide into a place of quiet peace. Success for me is achieved any time I can bring the viewer into that inner place with me.
web-site:caroljurasin.com
I am impressed by colors and beauty and challenged by how to express that in a watercolor painting. The technical and intellectual aspects of depicting clear glass, cascading water or translucent flower petals, for example, add to the excitment of the painting. I paint realistically. My work consists of florals, landscapes, still-lifes, portrait, and travel scenes. All include some reflection on life and the expression of beauty.
I've been painting all of my life. I started out in oils and acrylics many years ago, and then discovered watercolor. I'm inspired by nature, landscapes, the beauty of the water, land and sky. Watercolor requires planning ahead, and concludes with magical surprises that can never be planned. Painting outdoors, on-site is also unpredictable, but so exciting when the paper comes alive with the beautiful view an artist strives to capture through art. Whether in the studio or out in nature, I love watching my watercolors blend and bleed and form a painting alive with movement and color.
I have the same background in art that most people have, that is I loved drawing and coloring as a child. As it usually happens, I pursued a variety of interests before deciding I wanted to learn to paint in watercolor. No great research steered me to it. I knew it was what I wanted in spite of knowing little about it. I have learned, however, that with each painting I learn more about drawing, perspective, composition and many other components that determine a “good” painting. Perhaps because I have chosen to paint, the learning process is usually fun. What inspires me most is light and how it plays with color. It is also the most difficult to transmit to a sheet of paper. I have studied with Karen Mason for several years and have recently studied with Myrna Wacknov in the portrait workshop. Workshop experience includes Carla O’Connor and Karen Frey. I am fortunate to have studied with highly qualified teachers who are supportive yet challenging to students of all ability levels. My paintings have been accepted into numerous CWA Member Art Shows, Gallery Concord, Alameda County Fair and at the Danville Fine Arts Gallery. In June, 2006 “Chorister’s Passage” won first place at the CWA Member art Show at Lindsey Dirkx Brown Gallery at the San Ramon Community Center.
When I took up watercolors in 1992, I immediately became hooked on the beautiful transparent colors that are possible in this medium. I love trying out new techniques and applying them to images that I find interesting. I often work by pouring my watercolors or adding collage materials to create textures. I am constantly inspired by the colors, patterns, and textures found in nature. I am particularly interested in representational images from nature, such as landscapes and florals. I am challenged to capture moments in time when the light casts beautiful shadows and the colors glow. Watercolor is a wonderful medium for creating these glowing washes and beautiful colors.
Judi Oser, originally from Philadelphia and now living in Emeryville, has been painting since she was two years old. Her father was an artist, and it was the atmosphere of the house. But her father insisted that an education included a means of making a living in addition to art school. “He didn't want me to have to rely on art for daily bread, because he was afraid that the pressures engendered by that would compromise it -- and me,” Judi stated. So she became a lawyer and dealt mostly in art matters. She is now retired from the legal field and paints exclusively. “I like light, and how it affects color, which is a primary interest--a passion--for me.” Judi likes the way light plays on colors, changing them and also like what it does to edges, receding and/or losing them.
I am a representational wildlife artist using transparent watercolor with emphasis on bold use of color. I work exclusively from my own photographs taken mostly at zoos. Spending time with the animals, talking to their keepers and learning their names allows me a personal connection with my subjects. My paintings grow from this connection and a deep admiration of their beauty and elegance. The luxury to research my subjects and revisit helps my paintings tell their stories with accuracy and elicit an emotional response from the viewer. My goal as an artist is to create a greater understanding and appreciation of animals and nature.
Gladys Schaible from Walnut Creek has always been fascinated by art which is not only a hobby of hers but also her passion. She began painting Norwegian Rosemaling using oils and painting decorative furniture with acrylics but watercolors have become her fascination as a realist artist. She prefers to paint from her own photographs taken during her travels throughout the United States and Europe and this method has yielded a collection of pieces with various subject matters in floral designs, buildings and interesting colorful scenes. Schaible's works have won numerous awards including "Best of Show", the "Grumbacher Award" and various theme awards.
Mary Spivey received her Bachelor of Art Education from the California College of Arts and Crafts. At that time George Post was the watercolor instructor and a strict “Plein aire” and transparent watercolor painter. He influenced Mary and a lot of other art students to follow in his footsteps and she continues to teach his techniques. The 19th century frontier painters and Queen Victoria as well, used watercolor for outdoor painting because of its portability. Now watercolor is extremely popular in its own rights. Mary Spivey believes that there are certain subjects that can only be captured in watercolor and that it is a wonderful recording devise for those who travel. She continues to capture the spirit and drama of natural landscapes with the freshness that is basic to watercolor.
Art is a form of communication and I communicate what I see, how I see, and my response to it. The moment that response occurs in me I am awash with a lifetime of experiences. My breath catches and I draw the image in deeply and attach my emotion and life experience to it. Part of me is in every piece of art I produce and I create it from my palette of experience. Generally, my style is photorealistic which means it is true to color, hard edged, and sharp focused. My work is based on my photographs from places I explore. My paintings are not simply a recreation of a photograph nor are they a document. The paintings that I create are a moment. It is a place and time. With every sheet of paper I touch with a brush, I am surrounded by the people, the places, the love, and the experiences of my life. What attracts me may be a sunflower in my backyard, a cactus in the California desert, a child at play, or an old photograph of a long forgotten person whose name is lost to time. My current work involves portraiture. I have shown my work twice in the Oakland Museum of California and other shows include exhibits at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, with the Society of Watercolor Artists in Texas, the Western Colorado Watercolor Society in Colorado, and in numerous shows in California. Most recently, I was in an exhibit with Artists 7 at the Mendocino Art Center. In 2002, I had my first one-woman show at Cal Poly, Pomona. Accolades include a Juror’s Merit Award given by Sondra Freckleton at the Triton Museum of Art’s 1st Biennial Competition and Exhibition in 1992, the Glenwood Springs Art Guild Award in Colorado in 1991, and numerous other awards. Recently, I have been exploring other styles and have worked with excellent teachers: John Salminen, Jean Grastorf and Ted Nuttall. My ultimate goal in each painting is to drawn the viewer closer, almost face to face, for a very intimate moment.
An interesting face, a person wearing a hat or with a beard and/or mustache makes my heart race and I am inspired to capture them with paper and paint. I also love figures in action. In order to express a natural expression or a figure in action, I need to work from a photograph. My digital camera is my most important piece of art equipment. I love to incorporate drawing, and texture in the painting and continue to experiment and explore new materials and ideas. Working in a series utilizing the same image is a format I enjoy working with.
I am a representational artist, and my main emphasis is on nature and interweaving my subject and the beauty of nature into one. Whether the effect is realistic or whimsical, my goal as an artist is to invoke a greater appreciation of nature.
I paint anything that inspires me. My art expresses movement and mood using both planned and spontaneous use of color, space and line. I work in watercolor because its fluid nature lends itself to both fast brush strokes and to subtle and layered application.
With my watercolors, I strive to capture the simple beauty and magnificence of our environment. It is exciting for me when I am able to express a subject in dynamic light and color, and I believe that a successful painting shows the viewer something new, extraordinary and emotional about the subject, whether a figure, object or landscape. Therefore, when I hear comments like “wow”, fantastic, etc., it tells me that my painting has not only made a positive effect, but also that it may have revealed something new to the viewer. Therefore, my watercolors (and art in general) have the potential to broaden the world for those who stop to enjoy the moment.
