Watercolour Artist
Words were my first love. Music, fine art and photography jostled for equal attention. I grew up surrounded by them all and loved them all. When the time came to choose, I decided on Journalism and made a career from words. Then someone handed me a camera. Shortly after that I started freelancing as a writer and photographer. Then life handed me Prince Albert and I found joy and peace in the mesmerising pools of watercolour.
I can’t remember where my fascination with watercolour started, but I love everything about it. The immediacy, spontaneity and the challenge. Bonus: no toxic fumes, so the birds can sit on my shoulder and the dogs laze at my feet while I work. The general advice is to learn painting with the very patient medium of oil colours before proceeding to the so-called “unforgiving” ways of watercolour. In my ignorant bliss, I dived straight into watercolour before trying my hand at oils. I even use similar techniques in my oil paintings than I do for watercolour, applying the paint in thin washes rather than painting in impasto.
I am so thankful I started with watercolour first. It was the strictest teacher who got the most out of me in the shortest amount of time. I did lots of small pieces with cheap paint and even cheaper paper – which provided endless frustration but wonderful tuition. I had to learn to work really quickly – paper from wood pulp and the heat from the Karoo are fierce opponents to the juicy qualities we strive for in watercolour. I started experimenting with different types of support and grounds to open up my possibilities until I could afford “proper” paper, and also just because I love seeing how far I can stretch a tool, a medium and myself. This presented its own host of obstacles as the paint behaves totally differently on board and canvas than on paper. But again, I loved everything about it and it has become my favourite way of painting, albeit an unorthodox way of using watercolour.
Watercolour has been called the ‘master’s medium’, and although I haven’t mastered it yet, the pursuit of it brings me so much joy. Watercolour probably has the right to be a bit unforgiving. After all, it does half the work for you – if you can learn to trust and let go.
Contact Paula on 072 238 7804
Studio 17 de Beer Street
Website www.paulabeezhold.co.za
