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Where have all the watercolors gone?????
Have you noticed a lack of watercolors in the galleries?!!
So many of you have written to say you had noticed the same trend in your state.
A few of you wrote about galleries that still showed a single watercolor artist.
One artist wrote that when she asked a Florida Gallery why they didn't carry
any watercolors, they replied "There was so much watercolor offered
at lower prices by local artists that was why they didn't carry
watercolors in the gallery."
There are the watercolor societies such as
AWS, NWS, RMNWM, and some big State W/C groups,
but they are not aware of the national gallery market.
They feel safe in their organizations and with
their shows. But thankfully they at least show a solid base and it's great to
get into one of their shows, but membership will NOT open any gallery door,
sad to say.
Another reason "Collectors want "No GLASS" on their art.
This is due to the way we are building our homes, with more and more windows.
And the galleries hear this EVERY DAY!!!! So they represent what is requested and
selling. And of course watercolor is not thought of as a serious medium by collectors
or galleries.
Have you noticed all the products that are coming out to get Watercolor out
from under the glass? Such as w/c canvas, clayboard, and even varnishing watercolors.
Tom Lynch talks about how W/C Canvas originals are selling really well for him. But they are a
bit tricky to work on and lift paint pretty easy. They must be sprayed with a varnish
to seal them.
BUT Watercolor canvas is MORE acceptable to the galleries and collectors!!!!
I have been selling art 31 years and counting and there are trends.
and for many years when I just starting out in watercolor it was
all the RAGE and commanding gallery walls. The
oil artists complained that watercolor was taking over.
Well here it is 25 years later and the shoe is on the other foot.
LOVE watercolor what can you do?
EDUCATE your collectors-Gallery owners-anyone in the public you talk to.
The more you do this, it elevates the appreciation of watercolor.
Explain how you must save that precious white paper-that you don't
use any white paint, and watch that persons eyebrows go up!!!!
Explain that your paint is like looking though layers of stained glass.
This is a good "General" way to explain to people that don't understand the medium.
Also another "MYTH" to blow out of the water is "Watercolors FADE"!!!!!!
Our pigments are just as light fast as oils and acrylics-all pigments are NOW made the same!!!!
It's only the binder that requires watercolor to be framed under glass or varnished, as it's
not a water resistant binder and dries "Flat" so the glass adds depth to the medium
IF your known for good paintings, then DONATE one of your best paintings to your local museum, the more watercolor they have to put on exhibits the more the public is educated that WATERCOLOR is just as important as oils. I have had one original touring in two museum exhibitions going all over the country
and the great part is it's ON PAPER and is a watermedia painting!!!
Keep in mind that artists such as myself, may work in ANY medium to follow the
market to make a living. ART is not about the medium "ITS ABOUT" the concept and VISION for each painting!
Take what is special about your work and find a way to express it in all mediums.
I have created images in, pen and Ink, pencil, Egg Tempera, Acrylic, Watercolor, Oils in my 30+ years as a selling artist. Arleta