“Passage” by James Waterman
12 x 12 Mixed media on cradled wood panel
“A new group of paintings at Fairweather House and Gallery is a direction that I have been contemplating for some 40 years. I have spent considerable time between in northwest Washington, as well as along the Oregon coast. On a misty Northwest fall morning—the sky is turning luminescent yellow…”
“Shoreline” by James Waterman
12 x 16 Mixed media on cradled wood panel
“This mysterious, diffused light is what motivates and inspires me to capture it in my own way.”
“Dusk” by James Waterman
16 x 20 Mixed media on wood panel
“There is a magical, mysterious quality of light that is filtered through fog and clouds against the sea. The sea, fractured by a light of luminosity, has a meditative, serene and mystical feel against a most muted color palette.”
About the artist:
James Waterman prefers to work on standard hardboard instead of canvas because it allows him the flexibility to experiment with his background techniques—using solvents, sand paper, and even bubble wrap to create the distressed, corrosive look that is classic Waterman.
Waterman chooses his subject matter from what he believes others might “overlook as ordinary.” Once he has chosen his subject, he draws the image on a board. He covers the sketch with a masking fluid, similar to rubber cement, to protect the design. Then he plays with layers of paint and other techniques to create the desired background effect. He then rubs the masking off to expose the original design, which he paints in elaborate detail.
Waterman began to show his art while still in college and his big break when he was encouraged to approach the Foster White Gallery in Seattle. The FWG has represented him since the 1980’s. He is also represented by Fairweather House and Gallery in Seaside, Oregon.
As a kid who used the Puget Sound campus as his playground—sometimes sneaking in through the second story windows of the field house to catch a good concert—Waterman never considered attending college anywhere else. “I don’t know what I would have done if the university hadn’t accepted me,” he says.
Waterman wanted to study with legendary ceramist F. Carlton Ball, but was discouraged by the number of people interested in the field. “There were so many people in my first class, I figured the world didn’t need another potter,” he says. So he switched to fine art instead.
Waterman’s garden was featured in a summer issue of South Sound Home and Garden.
Read more about the artist at:
https://fairweatherhouseandgallery.wordpress.com › 2019/03/31 › introduc…
“Pansy in Bronze Vase” Original art on wood panel James Waterman James Waterman is drawn to ancient, deteriorated and rusted surfaces.