Watercolor in bloom : painting the spring and summer garden

131 Pages·2007·114.124 MB·English

by  Backer, Mary Weinstein

ART TECHNIQUE/WATERCOLOR W
A
T
E
“I fi nd inspiration in everything that
R
surrounds me. I strive to give the viewer

C a heightened awareness, to stimulate the
WAT E R C O L O R
richness of their surroundings. People
O
often miss the beauty around them. I like
to help them see it more fully through my
L in Bloom
paintings.”
O
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R
Mary Backer believes in painting what she
knows and likes best. Much of her inspiration
Mary paints more than fl owers; she paints her
comes from the natural settings that surround I
joy for nature. Evocative of spring breezes and
N
her home. Her fl oral studies are an example of
summer sunshine, her watercolor fl owers invite
her love of singling out common objects and
viewers to linger a while, look closer, and savor
presenting them in a formal way. She does this B
the delicate color harmonies and poetry of
through her control of the watermedia in which
form. In doing so, we see these “ordinary”
L
she works and her brilliant use of color and
garden beauties in a new light—as living,
composition. painting PRETTY, PRIZED O growing works of art.
Mary and her photographer husband Pat
In Watercolor in Bloom, Mary shows you how
maintain a studio-gallery in Banning, California. O
is easier than you think! to achieve the same brilliant results by giving
FLOWERS
Her awards and honors are many; her work is
you:
included in museums, corporate and private M
collections, and she has been published in a Advice for choosing the materials and
leading art publications. She is a signature painting the spring supplies that will work best for you.
member of the National Watercolor Society,
Using an uncomplicated palette and simple techniques, Mary Backer shares the secrets a Tips for mixing sensuous color, from soft
a past president of Watercolor West and an
behind her prize-winning watercolor fl owers. From fi rst strokes to fi nal touches, you’ll learn and ethereal to bright and bold.
artist member of the California Art Club. and summer garden
everything you need to know to paint brilliant poppies, plump peonies, graceful lotus blossoms,
a Instruction for making the most of water-
classic roses and other garden favorites.
color’s brilliance with washes, color glazes,
a Features an exciting variety of fl owers and compositions, from individual lifting and other techniques.
Mary Backer
fl ower studies to more elaborate, mixed arrangements.
a Tricks for enhancing your painting with the
a 12 full-length demonstrations take you from fi rst sketch to fi nal brushstroke. addition of acrylics.
a Illustrates step-by-step watercolor techniques for achieving luscious color, a Composition secrets for bringing beauty and
perfect backgrounds and dramatic, up-close compositions. B harmony to your painting.
A
a Plus a unique acrylic fi nishing technique makes colors really pop. C You’ll learn how to mix natural-looking greens
US $29.99
K for leaves and stems, achieve a sparkling sense
33508 (CAN $37.99)
Experienced and novice artists alike will revel in the inspiration and easy-to-follow instruction E
ISBN-13: 978-1-58180-834-6 R of light, add an extra touch of life with butter-
inside. Watercolor in Bloom makes painting fl owers as pleasurable as a stroll through the garden! IISSBBNN 9-7180-:1 -518-15880-188304--6834-8 fl ies and bees—everything you need to know
90000
to turn seeds of inspiration into the prettiest
N
EA fl owers ever to bloom from your brush!
C
UP
9 781581 808346
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Watercolor in Bloom
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WAT E RC O L O R
in Bloom
painting the spring
and summer garden
Mary Backer
NORTH LIGHT BOOKS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.artistsnetwork.com
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About the Author
As a child Mary was never without a pencil or crayon and
paper to draw on. “I always doodled, and coloring books
were a passion of mine.” A California native, Mary grew up
in the Pasadena area and now resides with her husband Pat
in Banning, California. After her high school graduation,
she married and raised two children. Although she enrolled
in the Famous Artist’s Course, studying commercial art, the
demand of raising a family prevented her from continuing,
and she put aside her dreams of becoming an artist. Her
dreams fi nally came true following her retirement from the
real estate business in the early 1980s when she enrolled in
the Laguna Beach School of Art, Laguna Beach, California.
Watercolor in Bloom: Painting the Spring and Summer Garden. Copy-
right © 2007 by Mary Weinstein Backer. Manufactured in China. All rights Her teacher, Roger Armstrong, encouraged her to enter the
reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
National Watercolor Society annual competition. Her work
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval
systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a was accepted into the exhibit, and she received the honor of
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Signature Member. With a good start in the fundamentals,
North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700
she went on to study with Scott Moore, Linda Stevens Moyer
East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. [phone].
First Edition. and Robert E. Wood.
Mary was always in love with watercolor. “It was water-
Other fi ne North Light Books are available from your local bookstore, art
supply store or direct from the publisher. color from the start.” Her work represents her personal way
of seeing, point of view, interpretation and unique expres-
11 10 09 08 07 5 4 3 2 1
sion. “I fi nd inspiration in everything that surrounds me. I
strive to give the viewer a heightened awareness, to stimulate
DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY FRASER DIRECT
the richness of their surroundings. People often miss the
100 Armstrong Avenue
Georgetown, ON, Canada L7G 5S4 beauty around them. I like to help them see it more fully
Tel: [phone] through my paintings.”
Mary Backer’s awards and honors are many; her work is
DISTRIBUTED IN THE U.K. AND EUROPE BY DAVID & CHARLES
Brunel House, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PU, England included in museum, corporate and private collections, and
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]
she has been published in leading art publications including
Email: [email protected]
Splash 1, Splash 9 and The Best of Flower Painting (North Light
DISTRIBUTED IN AUSTRALIA BY CAPRICORN LINK Books); Painting Composition, Easy Solutions: Color Mixing, and
P.O. Box 704, S. Windsor NSW, 2756 Australia
Art of the American West (Rockport Publishers); and Watercolor
Tel: [phone]
magazine.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Backer, Mary Weinstein She is a signature member of the National Watercolor
Watercolor in bloom : painting the spring and summer garden / Mar
y Society, a past president of Watercolor West and an Artist
Weinstein Backer. -- 1st ed.
p. cm member of the California Art Club.
.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58180-834-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) previous page:
ISBN-13: 978-1-60061-613-6 (EPUB)
ISBN-10: 1-58180-834-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) SUNSATION | Watercolor on Arches 1114-lb. (2339gsm) rough-pressed | 40"×
1. Gardens in art. 2. Seasons in art. 3. Watercolor painting--Technique. I. 60" (102cm × 152cm) | Private Collection
Title.
ND2237.B33 2007
743.7--dc22 2006029044
Edited by Vanessa Lyman
Designed by Wendy Dunning
Interior layout by Lisa Holstein
Production coordinated by Jennifer Wagner
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Acknowledgements Dedication
I would like to acknowledge the following people: To my grandmother, Mary Ann Broderick, an Irish lass and
My late husband, Sigmund Weinstein, who encouraged world class gardener who inspired me in the joy and beauty
me to begin painting and gave me the necessary support and of nature.
breathing room for me to accomplish my goals.
My teachers, Scott Moore, Linda Stevens Moyer and the
late Robert E. Wood. Their work was my inspiration, and it
was a privilege to learn from them the process of painting in
watercolor.
Pat Backer, my loving and caring husband; a talented
photographer who shares his life with me and believes in me
and my work.
My editors, Vanessa Lyman and Mona Michael, who
helped me get started and guided me through the process of
creating this book.
KALEIDOSCOPE | Watercolor Arches 300-lb. (640gsm) rough-pressed | 41"× 29" (104cm × 74cm)
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s
t
INTRODUCTION 9 n
The Basics
11 e
t
1 The Tools
12
n
2 Composition and Design
o
20
C
3 The Techniques
28

4 Color Basics
f
44
o
The Demonstrations
57 e
Tulip 58 l
b
Lily 62
Daffodil 65 a
Dutch Iris 68
T
Camellia 71
Oriental Poppy 74
Lotus 78
Morning Glory 81
Rose 84
Zinnia and Swallowtail Butterfl y 88
Gaillardia with Bee 92
Magnolia Alexandrina 95
Country Garden 98
Roses and a Butterfl y 106
Weathered Fence and Geranium 112
CONCLUSION 125
INDEX 126
AMBROSIA | Watercolor on Arches 550-lb. (1155gsm) rough-pressed | 41"× 29" (104cm × 74cm) | Private Collection
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GEORGIA ON MY MIND | Watercolor on Arches 550-lb. (1155gsm) rough-pressed | 29"× 41" (74cm × 104cm) | Private Collection
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