I came across an american artist, cartoonist and illustrator Sarah Buell Dowling whose work I really enjoyed. I emailed her and we arranged a Q&A session. Below are the questions I asked and the answers she gave:
Why did you choose watercolour as your primary medium to work in?
I chose watercolor primarily because I love line and I can use my drawing more readily as part of the image. Also, watercolor has a distinctive look that I still don’t use to it’s full advantage. You can layer and create wonderful transparencies. I, also, understand it better than oil. I haven’t really given oil my full attention so I wouldn’t rule that out for the future. I just find watercolor easy and very beautiful. It has a delicacy which I like.
I chose watercolor primarily because I love line and I can use my drawing more readily as part of the image. Also, watercolor has a distinctive look that I still don’t use to it’s full advantage. You can layer and create wonderful transparencies. I, also, understand it better than oil. I haven’t really given oil my full attention so I wouldn’t rule that out for the future. I just find watercolor easy and very beautiful. It has a delicacy which I like.
Is there anything you find difficult about working with watercolours?The thing I find most difficult about watercolor is something I’d probably find problematic with any other medium as well. It’s the warm/cool, value issue. I have a tendency to muddy up my work. The beauty of watercolor is its light playing through the transparencies. This is really dependent on color values, complements, cool vs warm choices. I often don’t make good choices because I just wing it rather than thinking it through. I think I can intuit my way through a piece, and I’m really not proficient enough to do that. I may never be able to do that. A painting really requires a lot of thought and preparation, which has surprised me the longer I’ve painted. In art school, we were encouraged to “feel” the painting, and frankly more garbage was produced there, and much of what was taught, I’ve had to ignore.
What would you say your intentions are as an artist, illustrator and cartoonist?
I think I have several intentions as an artist. I am a Christian so I would say that my primary intention is to please God. I am starting to do some work with Christian themes, and that may increase. My husband, who is a writer, just finished a book of Fables, sort of morality tales, and I’m starting to illustrate those. I think they’re brilliant, and they will, in all likelihood, appeal to the homeschool audience. Maybe beyond that, I don’t know? I also have a real drive to succeed in the art world. I think I must be fairly competitive. I’m now competing in international watercolor competitions, and would love to win some of those. I’m starting to win awards, which is nice. It’s much harder to make it as a watercolorist. There is a real stigma against buying watercolor art. But it’s not impossible!
I think I have several intentions as an artist. I am a Christian so I would say that my primary intention is to please God. I am starting to do some work with Christian themes, and that may increase. My husband, who is a writer, just finished a book of Fables, sort of morality tales, and I’m starting to illustrate those. I think they’re brilliant, and they will, in all likelihood, appeal to the homeschool audience. Maybe beyond that, I don’t know? I also have a real drive to succeed in the art world. I think I must be fairly competitive. I’m now competing in international watercolor competitions, and would love to win some of those. I’m starting to win awards, which is nice. It’s much harder to make it as a watercolorist. There is a real stigma against buying watercolor art. But it’s not impossible!
Do you work from life or references (photographs, memory)?
I work from life, from photos and my interior mind, whatever’s in there… I seem to be always torn in two directions; either realism or a sort of folk/abstract art. I just saw a top gallery owner who counseled me on my work. He loved the piece “Pensive” which is highly realistic, and a he saw an exciting direction with the piece “Cautious.” He felt that I could probably get away with those two directions but people get confused if there’s too much diversity. Again, you’ll see the two styles on my blog. The “Cautious” piece I find exciting because it’s my invention. Some people love that. Other’s love the realism, like with the Canada Goose, and I have to be careful not to just copy a photograph. It needs to still have something of my interior life to give it life, I believe.
I work from life, from photos and my interior mind, whatever’s in there… I seem to be always torn in two directions; either realism or a sort of folk/abstract art. I just saw a top gallery owner who counseled me on my work. He loved the piece “Pensive” which is highly realistic, and a he saw an exciting direction with the piece “Cautious.” He felt that I could probably get away with those two directions but people get confused if there’s too much diversity. Again, you’ll see the two styles on my blog. The “Cautious” piece I find exciting because it’s my invention. Some people love that. Other’s love the realism, like with the Canada Goose, and I have to be careful not to just copy a photograph. It needs to still have something of my interior life to give it life, I believe.
Do you have a favorite painting or piece of work?
I suppose at the moment my two favorite pieces are the same two as the gallery owner, “Cautious” and “Pensive.” But that could change tomorrow. Often, after I’ve finished a piece, I’m not really interested in it so much anymore. The puzzle or the challenge has been worked through, and I’m ready to move on to the next thing. And, that can include laying a new wood floor in our living room. I, unfortunately, like doing about anything with my hands…
I suppose at the moment my two favorite pieces are the same two as the gallery owner, “Cautious” and “Pensive.” But that could change tomorrow. Often, after I’ve finished a piece, I’m not really interested in it so much anymore. The puzzle or the challenge has been worked through, and I’m ready to move on to the next thing. And, that can include laying a new wood floor in our living room. I, unfortunately, like doing about anything with my hands…
I just thought, I will
probably be putting some of the illustrations I’ll be doing for the
Fables in my blog, if that should interest you.
Just
remember to stay true to yourself. I believe everyone has something to
say that only they can say. God made you with a purpose. Be careful in
art school. Teachers can seem like they know it all, but they don’t.
Stay curious, and make sure you love what you’re doing. I really believe
if you love it, you’ll be able to find people who will love it too.
Work hard, and you’ll eventually succeed. You may, or may not, make much
money but you’ll never regret how you spent your life.