Christy LEMP - USA

Why do I like Watercolour? I love watercolor for its portability and strength for fast impressions, its glowing transparency and color, and the surprising effects when you let it do what it wants.

Favourite Colour? I can't pick one favorite color, but love the range of jewel tones you can find in the quinacridones.

Favourite Painter?  It's really hard to pick a favorite painter too, but I gravitate toward bright color painters like Leroy Neiman, Kandinsky, Jean Haines, and young children. They have completely different styles, but convey wonderful feelings and positive energy just by the colors they use. I also love that they don't paint every detail, but let the viewer complete the image.

If you were a painting what style of painting would you be?  If I were a painting, my style would be gestural and impressionistic.

Biggest Challenge in Watercolour?  My biggest challenge in watercolor is having enough patience to let things dry before adding more layers of color. I often paint two things at once to counteract this bad habit, otherwise I would be snacking too much in between.

Favourite Place to Paint? My favorite place to paint is outdoors. Anywhere and any weather. Nothing can beat the feeling and freshness you get when you're right there in the scene. It's always an adventure! I've met a lot of people this way too, not something that happens in the studio.

Who has inspired you?  Many painters have inspired me, past and present. Van Gogh and Monet, John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer. W. B Romeling who introduced me to watercolor when I was 20. UK artists Jean Haines, Maggie Latham, Joanne Boon Thomas. Anne Watkins and Dean Crouser here in the US. Also, Pinterest has an endless supply of inspiring artists! 

Blog: http://christyswatercolor.blogspot.co.uk/