March 28th 2010

I recently had an interesting conversation with a good friend who has 30 years experience of painting and selling watercolours. We were discussing a visit I’d had to the Glasgow Affordable Art Fair 2010 (Glasgow, Scotland). Of the hundreds of paintings for sale, very few were watercolours – why? My friend and I want to know why the relatively poor representation of our preferred beautiful medium in the many galleries offering paintings for sale.

Many artists claim watercolour to be the most difficult of mediums to control and master, which may make many give up and switch to more predictable materials. It is also a common perception that watercolour paintings suffer from washed out colours which fade readily and are unstable. (It might surprise some to know that all colours and dyes fade if they are subjected to strong light or harsh environments for long periods.) Also it may be that watercolour is seen as a medium only for beginners to use or for initial sketches and ideas rather than to paint a piece of artwork in its own right. It may also be perceived as the medium of older ladies painting little sketches at their evening classes, or at the kitchen table - easy to pull out when they have a minute to spare and pack up in a corner when dinner has to be prepared.

I should point out that I’m talking specifically about ‘watercolour paint’ rather than ‘acrylic paint’ which, in my opinion, has slipped through the back door and is frequently referred to as watercolour. I know it can be applied in a similar manner, using very wet, thin washes, but because it dries to a hard immovable plastic-like finish, which has to be painted over and can’t be lifted, it can never, in my opinion, match the beautiful effects which can be achieved by a true master watercolour painter. In the hands of such a ‘master’ the transparency and vibrancy of watercolour is truly bold and stunning. Today paint manufacturers are very aware of the need to make colour as stable as possible and work tirelessly to produce such materials. Their colour ranges in the medium are vast.

So, for all you true watercolour painters, stick at it and learn all you can about handling this challenging medium. You never know, there might be an amazing revival where your special unique skills and creativity are acknowledged.

Aileen