Our demonstrator for March was Steven Lush. He painted a watercolor Maine scene of a lobster boat.
The meeting was held in the Guild Hall, First Congregational Church (middle side door), Sanborn Street, Reading, Wednesday March 9th, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
We have some photographs of the event in case you could not make it there in person.
We set up the mirror so that Steve could work flat and
the audience could still see what he was doing.
He did the painting from this sketch.
Before he started the demonstration, he transferred the scene
to the watercolor paper using the grid lines on the sketch.
He wet the paper before applying the paint, and
then began the painting with a warm wash in the sky.
He deliberately leaves the drips and puddles for effect.
After the initial wash was on, he dried it with a hair drier.
Then, the basic definition of the boat was done.
Here, he is applying rich colors in the water.
To enhance the atmospheric effects, he sprays the painting with water.
Here you can see a spot of bright green dropped into the water under the boat.
There are always seagulls with a lobster boat.
He painted those using Chinese white.
He also used Chinese white to add some sparkling highlights to the boat.
Finally, he glazed the entire top half of the painting with Chinese white.
He tilted the painting up to let the drips and runs
do their thing, drying it in place with the hair drier.
Here is the painting after the demo, in a mat
and flipped around into its true orientation
(because you are not looking at it in a mirror anymore).
You can see some of Steve's work at his web site, http://stevenlushart.com/
"Since I am mostly self-taught I do not approach any of my subject matter from an established protocol. I am mostly interested in light and how it transforms that which it envelops. Whatever medium I choose I lean toward the application of strong brush strokes saturated with color. I am constantly trying to evoke a mood rather than a realistic clarity."
Steve is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society, American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and the New England Watercolor Society (NEWS). Steve is an Artist Member of theRockport Art Association, Rockport, MA. the Northshore Arts Association, Gloucester, MA. and the Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP). Steve is a Master Model Shipwright member of the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA.
Steve's art is part of many private and corporate collections throughout the United States and Italy, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Museum of America and the Sea, Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT., the Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP), The Heritage Asset Collection at the Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT., the Stevens Memorial Library, North Andover, MA. ,the Noble Maritime Museum, Staten Is., NY., and the Customs House Maritime Museum, Newburyport, MA.
Steve's artwork was featured in the 2014 HBO mini-series "Olive Kitteredge" starring Frances McDormond, Richard Jenkins and Bill Murray.
Steve is represented by the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT. and the Walsingham Gallery, Newburyport, MA.