James Faecke, Madison, WI

Watercolor

With unlimited subject matter and constantly changing light and weather conditions, there is no studio like the outdoors. Unlike working from reference material, when painting en Plein Air, you’re not painting “a subject” you’re painting an experience. When working in the studio I always work with my own photos or sketches as a remembrance of the experience. Although I do work in other mediums, my first love has always been watercolor. For me, it is unlike any other medium in the variety of possibilities of application. Literally any subject can become a playground for exploration of its intrinsic qualities, it’s simply an exhilarating process. My goal in creating my images is to share with the viewer that moment of joyful awareness or wonder that is an integral part of that process of translating a visual subject into a painting. Whether it is a landscape, still life or a portrait, we see the world through our hearts and minds as much as through our eyes. Relating that experience in watercolor is an interesting and ongoing challenge that will keep me painting for many years.