By Ron Mulvey 

Moving water is the key element for success. Know your water and know what it can do for your brush. If you ignore the part that water plays you will end up out of control. Labor is also important because if you labor at it you kill the process.

The  magic of watercolor is found in the  immediate response to the wetness of the paper the purity of the color and the deftness of the brush. There is only one mistake you can make and that is to try and control the natural properties of the water. You have to stay in the background at the end of your brush much like the fly fish angler at the end of his rod.

The action takes place on the surface of the water away from you  and you have to feel and observe–not control and fuss. The paper is saturated with water; the brush is charged with pure pigment which is flicked and maneuvered across the receptive surface of the paper.

There is no turning back; you are committed. You have 15 to 30 minutes for the image to surface, start drying and be transformed.

What it will look like at the end is always a mystery until it has set and dried.

About the Artist

Ron is a contemporary landscape artist. You can view and buy his landscape paintings in his online art gallery. Ron offers beautiful, original landscape paintings for just $40. You can view and order these small paintings here.