Watercolor Artist, April 2011

Highlights
Lyrical Landscapes
Reasons to Give Watercolor Pencils a Try
Steps to Better Backgrounds
Get to Know Gerhard Richter

Features
Waking Up to the Landscape
By Michelle Taute
Joyce Hicks spends six to eight months a year on the road, capturing her response to nature's beauty in watercolor.

Exercise in Translation
By Meredith E. Lewis
Translating figures into simple forms and gestures, Karen Frey plants them firmly in their environment.

City Splendor
By Ken Gofton
Excited by the patterns of the city landscape, Sandra Walker found her calling in photorealistic urban scenes.

Setting the Tone
By Thomas J. Owen
Even if realism is the effect you're after, a bold abstract underpainting can be the secret to rich, dynamic results.

An Artful Odyssey
By Betsy Dillard Stroud
Join this esteemed instructor as she shares her personal workshop experiences and helps set you on the path to your own enlightenment. Plus, receive a mini-workshop lesson, as the artist demonstrates her process step by step.

Columns
Making a Splash
By Jessica Canterbury
Save yourself money and headache with these nine simple tax tips for artists, plus make a date to celebrate International Museum Day.

Studio Staples
By Cathy Johnson
Find out how to put watercolor pencils to use in your next painting.

Creativity Workshop
By Marilynn Derwenskus
Reinterpret your subject by choosing a new format and pouring paint to create a rich, textured background.

Meet the Masters
By Carrie Oeding
Get the inside scoop on living master Gerhard Richter's intriguing abstract watercolor paintings.

Watercolor Essentials
By Laurin Mccracken
Unlock the secret to creating useful and appealing grays.