Andrea here, I was recently looking at a book on great English watercolor paintings to refresh my memory for a small plot point in my current WIP, and it got me to musing about several things (which happens more frequently than I care to admit—procrastination is often far more fun than actually writing!)
First, it got me to thinking about how if I had another lifetime and could pick one discipline to master, I would choose 
painting in watercolor. Oil paintings are wonderful, but for me there’s something magical about the sense of spontaneity of watercolors—the eye and hand reacting quickly to the subject. The nature of the medium is that one can’t overwork or overthink a painting, or it loses the translucent beauty of light and color that makes it so special.
That reaction was sparked because I was looking at two of my favorite watercolor artists. J. M. W. Turner is likely a name you recognize, but while he’s far less well known, Thomas Girtin is just as breathtakingly talented—a fact which makes his early death at age 27 even more poignant. Turner, never one to volunteer a kind word about anyone, acknowledged his friend’s rare genius by saying,
“If Girtin had lived, I would have starved.”
Girtin and Turner were born just months apart, and within a stone’s throw of each other in London. After early art training, they came to work at the same dealer in Covent Garden adding hand coloring to etchings and engraving. They also continued to hone their skills at night at an informal academy held by Dr. Munro, King George III personal physician and a noted art collector.
The two young men developed a friendship, as well as a friendly rivalry. (Girtin was very popular because of his sunny good nature, and it’s said that Turner, an introverted curmudgeon, was tolerated by other artists because of Girtin.)
By 1794, Girtin was exhibiting watercolors at the Royal Academy. It’s important to note here that watercolorists were looked down upon by “real” painters. The medium was considered a craft, not art, as it was used mostly in maps and to record mundane images like houses—the Regency equivalent of a snapshot. But Girtin started to change all that. His atmospheric rendering of landscapes, which celebrated the color and textures of the natural world, helped inspire the Romantic movement in art. And along with Turner, he helped garner respect for watercolors as real works of art.
When you look closely at a Girtin painting you can see his intimate awareness of the weather and the light. Morning mists float up over fields, clouds presage a coming squall, wind ruffles the grasses. The subtle details, the range of colors, the use of dramatic light and shadow all combine to create remarkable images.
I’m lucky enough to live near the British Art Center at Yale, which has a great collection of Girtin watercolors. And I’m even luckier that the museum, as befits a great teaching university, has a study room where one can actually examine the work in detail. So, inspired by thumbing through the book, I decided to go up and have a closer look at the originals. (Yes, more procrastination, but it’s research, right?) It was truly an amazing experience. I walked in (it’s open to the public and easy to register) and asked to see the Girtins. Five minutes later, out came a box, which was set up for me at a study table. I was asked to wash my hands, then handed a magnifying glass. “Have fun,” said the curator with a smile.
I confess, my heart began to race a little as I lifted out a stack of Girtin’s original work and began to look—really look—at the nuances of color and the deft touch which, to me, separates good from great. It’s astounding how a simple line and dot can create the illusion of a person walking in the distance.
Another fascinating thing was to see some of his pencil sketches, which show what an incredibly skilled draftsman he was. But then, his paintings loosen up and he captures the spirit of a scene as well as its structure. (images courtesy of the Yale Center for British Art)
There’s something amazing about actually handling an artifact from history, which helps make an era come alive. What historical item would you like most to hold? And if you could master a skill you don’t currently have, what would it be?
