This is a treatise on my style of watercolors and how I may have arrived at it although it wasn't a palpably coursed out plan of attack as some would warrant but rather a recurrent recourse at times of need of relaxation and repose. As a matter of fact I think optical enfranchisement is most conducive to release of tension. If you think of it music and poetry both deal in imagery which proves that visual imagery is a conduit to the soul as it were. But I think it is more than that. I think that engaging the visual cognitive awareness somehow centers or focusses the attention, thereby taking the mind off other problems, promoting a "letting-go", albeit temporarily, of the days concerns, a relaxation response and if possible an emotional catharsis. I dare say that much modern music of the loud and raucous variety is attempting to arrest the attention through mechanical impact having abandoned the art of producing the visual imagery which is inherent in other musical forms. To this end music and poetry are perhaps more perfect forms of art than the visual arts because they deal from a distance with the image and escape the tendancy to defile the image as it is being produced in the "mind's eye".

All of which hints at my theory of watercolor. Watercolor is a fine art in that it strives to present graphic representations while not interfering with mental imagery. In fact it serves to evoke the mental imagery which understandably is based on the graphical representation by "leaving something to the eye" without of course skimping in detail. Detail is a wonderful thing because, in addition to transmitting information about the scene which is important for journals and so on, it has a somewhat mysterious effect of provoking and holding the mental image. The mental image it should be mentioned is an interpretation and synthesis of the graphical detail and is fed by the observers state of mind, hence the effect of the work on it. Thus it is that a fine art such as watercolor admixes the graphical interests of the viewer and the graphical virtuosity of the artist to create an amusing doorway to further appreciation of art herself. And in my opinion the goal of the artist is to evoke a mental image and a state of reverie or thoughtfulness with some room for mental play and interpretation within the work itself.

But there is something more. The graphical representation of the watercolor is also fed in its inception by the mind and affect of the artist. As the watercolorist evokes within himself that pleasure of creativity, he is bringing to the work his deepest intuitions and values and thus is communicating to the observer something of himself and, I dare say something of a frankly moral nature. Whatever the subject matter the work must serve to elevate the observer in a moral sense. This is not a definition of art perhaps but it is a proper goal of art.

Now I dare say that the observer, the common man and woman has been through the day disaffected by things unseen. The art work produces a conduit through which the observer unwittingly envisages and dispels that disaffection and that is the cause of the pleasure in art. As that can be accomplished, the observer is invited to the new vision, that of the painting, and finally a renewed interest in the beauty around him of which the work of art is in truth a mere semblance and meager representation.

In my own paintings I am most aware and most appreciative of the effect of presenting some hidden nuance of the natural beauty, perhaps the vague and hitherto unappreciated redness of the cloud or the little duckling at work behind the wood. If I can produce some sentiment of appreciation of these environmental facts by using an economy of technique coupled with a deep intuition of my own I have the visual refreshment which I have described as well as the hope that this work will, in some small way help another's eyes to see.

And where does morality come in? It may be said that whereas a Divine Creator is permitted an infinite number of colors and brush strokes with which to work, the artist has but a few. The work of art may then be likened to a small chalice which collects a few drops of the precious wine of natural beauty. A successful work of art reveals both the complexity and meaning of the scene at hand and thus intimates the presence of a unifying characteristic of that subject, something more than meets the eye, and to be sure, something of a distinctly transcendental nature.

So to resume these reflections. The watercolor must present an economical but reasonably detailed, graphical representation, while at the same time evoking a somewhat independent mental image and reverie on the part of observer. It must then reward the observer with something of beauty containing both the intuition and moral awareness of the artist.

And that is why I like watercolors. Watercolors are sufficient to the task of creating a economical picture of reasonable detail; and in fact, the entire thrust, if one can call it that, of watercolor technique is toward lightness, even vagueness which gives room for mental play and hence interpretation and reverie. The soft colors of the watercolor are certainly pleasing to the eye and what is more the pigments are so playfully comparable to natural colors that the eye of the beholder may be informed as to the beauties around him. Now that is my reflection and I hope it will be suffused throughout the rest of this treatise. I will have more to say about the actual provocative interplay between the graphical representation and the evoked mental image as being of cognitive value.

How I watercolor

I don't like to analyze the technical act itself. What I do is the following. I find a spot I want to watercolor, usually a watery landscape and I sit down in the shade, away from the bugs if possible. The palette is usually the product of the previous work all of which makes it advantageous to stay on one subject for a few days or weeks so as to allow the pallette to evolve toward the task at hand. Now I have small spots for the more or less primary colors and room above for mixing. And in the metal paint box itself are some nice large square indentation where I can produce enough watery colors for a wash. This suffices for up to 9" x 12" paintings. I usually have a large coffee in the morning and save the cup for water. And I have a small art box and several brushes. I will not say anything to you about your selection of brushes. This is intensely personal. You must like your brush and not be too critical of it. Give it a chance to show what it can do and then exploit it lovingly. And paints are not a problem. You can theoretically get all the colors you need out of the three primary colors, red blue and yellow. But the specialty colors have a place and you select them at your leisure, again with thoughtfulness. There is an issue about Chinese White. I happen to like it but I use it only sparingly and when I do I do not mix it much with water. I cannot imagine how one can depict stars on a distant American Flag without a little point of white on the tip of your brush. Most of my whites however are "carved out" so to speak leaving the paper untainted or perhaps with a gentle grey wash.This is especially interesting in creating the masts of distant ships against the sky. Using a reliable brush it is possible to bring two squares of color into close approximation, a millimeter or less. If this is kept straight it is the mast of a ship against the green wood or gray sky.

You must paint people and it is not that difficult. Mix white and red and little yellow and you get a flesh tone. You create an oval face and tubular arms and legs and when it dries sketch in some bright shirts and dark pants and dark hair. Try to create "arms akimbo" or slightly leaning figures as if they are doing something. If the figures are nearby create a darker flesh tone as described above and darken the nose and eye areas. A touch of red for the lips. It can be done, and here reassurance is needed. You can do it.

I don't want to say more about the technique of watercolor. You must learn from your own master and from your own brush. Paint a little, paint a lot but paint and observe the effects you are producing. Colors run when wet but only run into the little drops of wetness roundabout and this can be used to good effect. But whatever you do keep it light. "Approach" the final result. And if you find yourself spending a lot of time in one area, move on. You can usually correct or balance a defect from a distance.

Painters have told me that they cannot do watercolors because it is "too unforgiving", one wrong move and you have ruined the work. But this is not a real problem. Actually watercolors can be easy and fun if you remember "water".

It was Thales, the first philosopher, who made the statement that all things are made of water. He was smart enough to get into the history books and was a successful producer of olive oil. He must have been an artist by his very nature in that he made an observation about sensible reality as interpreted by the mind's eye of the watercolorist. All things are watery. The transparency of shining leaves, the flickering of tiny waves, the gently distorting mirror of the placid lake, the color qualities of the human form, the face with its teardrops of natural hues and tones, are all readily interpreted by a water based pigment. Therefore in art celebrate the aqueous, flood your favorite paper, muddle nd puddle without fear, you have nothing to lose. Water is not nothingness. You can bring in those wet canvassaes at your leisure. Water is everything. So let it flow.

Now to address that interesting interplay and evocation having to do with the artists representation and the viewers mental projection. All art, like the calculus, is an eminently useful approximation. An approximation because graphically it is impossible to match wits with kindly nature or the Creator, and an eminently useful one because within this approximation the spirit can complete the mental image evoked in the viewer bringing him to a higher level of appreciation of his own appreciation of the beauty of everyday reality.