| Artist enjoys challenges of watercolours |
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| Local Content - Local News |
| Written by Garrett Simmons |
| Wednesday, 03 February 2010 16:14 |
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Watercolours are an artistic medium some artists do not like to use. They can be tricky to master but in the end, if everything works out, the results can be stunning. Donna Hanson, the new artist now on display at the Taber Irrigation Impact Museum, knows this first hand, as watercolours are her medium of choice. “My first loves is watercolour, which is a difficult medium but I love it.” With watercolours, Hanson said a lot of planning is required, as artists can’t layer colours like you can with pastels and oils, and as such, it takes a little more time to get the right colours together on the page. “There are timing issues as well,” she said in terms of the colours, but added if everything goes according to plan, the finished product is certainly worth the effort. “I love the luminosity of watercolours. You get the glow of the colours coming through which you don’t get with pastels and oil, and when it works, it’s beautiful.” She added watercolours are also very versatile. “You can do anything with watercolours — it’s just understanding how to make the paints react with each other to get the subject on paper. You have warm and cold colours, and you have to understand how to mix the colours so you don’t get a muddy picture.” Ten of Hanson’s paintings are on display at the museum, most of which are watercolours. She has one pastel, an acrylic work and a wax-resist work. Topics include water lilies, an old truck, apple blossoms, sunflowers and a still life. “It’s just a real variety.” Hanson has been painting for about 10 years, and got the bug when she was taking a course on residential interiors. “We used water colour in our colour-theory course and it piqued my interest. This was about the time I started exploring art.” She found an art club where she lived at the time, in Sedgewick, and she was off an running. “That was great — learning from other artists.” She moved to Taber in September and soon after, hooked up with an arts group here. “Now I belong to the Taber Arts and Crafts Society, and I’m quite excited to find a group of artists, because it’s nice to paint with and work with other people, because you get lots of feedback.” She added the club is in search of new members, and not just painters, but those who enjoy producing nearly any form of art. In Taber, Hanson has had the opportunity to paint almost every day. She did not have that luxury in Sedgewick, where she operated her own interior-design business. Her time in Taber has helped her hone her craft. “I try to paint every day, which I think is a good thing, because practice makes perfect.” Over the years, she has also sought out some instruction to help her improve as a painter. “I’ve taken quite a few courses — probably one per year in the last 10 years.” This year in Taber, Hanson is going to also teach her own course through Taber and District Adult Learning. Her watercolour course is being offered in town in late February. “It’s just a beginner’s course, which is good, because it gives people an opportunity to learn the things I wish someone would have told me.” One of the things Hanson wishes she would have been taught was how to paint landscapes. It is a subject she struggles with, and one she is taking more time to perfect. At this point in time, Hanson’s favourite subject is flowers. |
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