Featured Artist Arthur Kvarnstrom

Artist Arthur Kvarnstrom captures the ethereal beauty of the woodland in his distinctive watercolor portfolio. Visit his website to see more.

 

 

No doubt my deep feelings for the natural world are a result of growing up in the country and being exposed to it since childhood.

 

 

Landscapes are my chosen subject for several reasons. Not the least of which is a deep love of being outside, immersed in nature, surrounded by the wonder of it all. The natural world is, to me, alive, lovely and unique. I like to think that the sounds and smells present outside find their way into the finished work.

 

 

These paintings are a representative sample of my plein air watercolor paintings done directly through observation.

 

 

Since I began painting, I’ve painted with watercolor and oil. I’ve always had an affinity for watercolor, liking its direct, intuitive quality. There are other virtues—painting on location becomes less of a physical challenge with watercolor.

 

 

More importantly, my watercolor paintings have come to embody characteristics that are increasingly important to me. Painting quickly, I abstract observed physical data into a painting employing color, space, shape, rhythm and form as a means of expression and communication.

 

 

Part of my methodology is to base my recent painting on previous work, looking to past work for future direction while aiming to build a body of work that is an organic whole.

 

 

Nature contains many elements that allow for incorporation into a work of art—mountains rocks, trees, streams and sky. Given the abundance of pictorial elements available to choose from, along with the number of ways these elements can be interpreted, the ways they can be combined into a composition are probably limitless.

 

 

My objective is to communicate the feelings and emotions that I experience when confronted by the natural world.

 

 

Keeping shapes simple and color clear is vital; too much detail will detract from my message. It is essential that everything in a painting serve to communicate the central theme, allowing the viewer to bring their thoughts and feelings to the painting.

 

 

Being able to draw on their own experiences, while filling in details, invites the viewer to become part of the creating process.

 

Artist Arthur Kvarnstrom invites you to follow him on Facebook.

 

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