Interview with a Watercolor Artist

Have you ever thought of taking up painting as a hobby? Are you good enough to do it for profit? One form of painting that you might be interested in is watercolor art. I recently did an interview with Michelle Himes, a watercolor artist, to find out about this art form. If you would like to see more of Michelle's work you can go to her website www. mhwatercolornotes.blogspot.com/.

ANGEL: When did you first become interested in painting?

MICHELLE: I think I was always interested in art. I loved those little paint sets with 6 or 8 cakes of hard watercolor shaped like butterflies that you could buy in the 5 & 10 when I was a child. My aunt took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I was about 4 and told me all about the paintings in the Impressionist wing. That's probably when I decided that I wanted to be an artist.

ANGEL: How long have you been doing watercolor art?

MICHELLE: My first real watercolor painting is dated 1989. It was a painting of a lighthouse in Maine that I did from a sketch. Before that I was a "dabbler". I tried everything - oils, pastels, silk screening, Ukrainian Egg painting, wood carving, etc. When I finally tried watercolor as an adult, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

ANGEL: Where did you study?

MICHELLE: I took adult education classes at one of the local high schools for several years from a wonderful watercolorist named Barbara Scullin, and then at the Ridgewood Art institute where I took drawing with Ed Broussard and watercolor with Joel Popadics. I've also attended workshops and have an extensive collection of watercolor instruction books.

ANGEL: Have you ever had a showing of your paintings?

MICHELLE: I've had solo exhibits at two local libraries, and at a doctor's office, and I regularly exhibit with the Community Arts Association, the Ridgewood Art Institute, and the Ringwood Manor Association for the Arts, the North East Watercolor Society, and the New Jersey Watercolor Society, and recently have had an exhibit with 6 friends who call ourselves Les Belles Artistes.

ANGEL: Do you sell your paintings online?

MICHELLE: I sold paintings on eBay and Artbyus.com for a few years, until the market became oversaturated and it was hard to get views.

ANGEL: Do you do craft shows and the like?

MICHELLE: I've participated in art/craft shows with some of the organizations above, and Art in the Park at our county park.

ANGEL: Are you part of any online forums or chat rooms for watercolor artist?

MICHELLE: Oh yes, probably too many. I belong to Aquanet, WatercolorWorkshop, WetCanvas, and several others.

ANGEL: Do you have a favorite watercolor artist?

MICHELLE: My favorite watercolor master is Winslow Homer. But I have many, many favorites among contemporary watercolor artists like Gerald Brommer, Ann Pember, Jean Grastorf, Nicholas Simmons, Dean Mitchell, Irving Shapiro, and others too numerous to name.

ANGEL: Do you think watercolor art would be a good hobby for people to take up?

MICHELLE: Watercolor is a fantastic hobby. It's challenging and fun and it will make you look at the world around you in a whole new way.

ANGEL: How would you recommend someone get started in watercolor art?

MICHELLE: I would recommend an adult education class or private lessons if you can afford it. If you prefer to learn on your own, a good watercolor book will help a lot. My first watercolor book was "Watercolor, You Can Do It!" by Tony Couch. For a real beginner, I would recommend "Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started" by Jack Reid. But the important thing with watercolor is to get your brushes wet and paint - it's really the only way to learn.

ANGEL: Is there anything you'd like to add?

MICHELLE: Making art and learning about it has given me enormous pleasure. It's my primary source of entertainment, and has been my anchor during rough spots in my life.

Be sure to check out some of the sites Michelle mentioned, along with some of the artist. If you do decide to take up watercolor art, all of the resources in this article should help. I'm sure you will find it an interesting and challenging hobby.