An Essay from Eric: The Origin of Painting Loosely

Eric: Dear Watercolor Enthusiasts,

The following is an article I submitted to the Northwest Watercolor Society. It’s the beginning of a series I would like to share with you.

Frequently I am asked, especially from my workshop participants, how I developed my “loose” painting style. This question always puzzles me because an assumption is made: the term “developed” implies intention. My painting style is not something I sought out; it is only a reflection of my personality and artistic likes and dislikes.

Early in art school (American Academy of Art – Chicago) I found myself attracted to the bold brushwork of the Impressionists and classical masters such as Sargent, Sorolla, Fechin, and others, as opposed to the Salon genre widely accepted on the Eve of Impressionism. A year earlier I had escaped the tedium (to me, at least) of a corporate job and the last thing I desired was more of the same. I saw the opportunity of emotional release, excitement, Nirvana! or whatever it can be called, of bold brush statements incorporating simplified patterns. A more accurate assessment would be to say I felt an opportunity. I don’t think I understood art well enough to intellectualize my feelings.

Click here to read the full article about the progression of Eric's personal style.