The Innovative Artist: Capturing Light: Creating radiant landscapes in watercolour

Capturing Light is a must for artists who wish to investigate the golden qualities of light with the emphasis on creating dramatic, imaginative landscapes.

Catherine Beale has developed an imaginative light-capturing technique that is both simple and effective. She calls this ‘gravity’ painting. In landscapes, where light is an essential element, this ‘loosen up’ method of flowing watercolor pigments is particularly effective. It can dramatically alter perspectives, veil or highlight details, create mood and atmosphere and imbue pictures with life and vitality. Catherine offers an exciting new technique for artists seeking new challenges and a different way of working.

• The book starts with an explanation of the technique, the materials and colors used and the importance of capturing the essence of a landscape.
• There are numerous progressively challenging small exercises, demonstrations and inspirational finished pictures illustrating the alluring effects of reflections, mists and shadows and showing the dramatic effects of different skies.
• Developments of ideas for landscapes are introduced as the book progresses, plus projects exploring how to build up light-filled effects.

This is a practical guide to an essential subject, written by a contemporary artist who offers new ways of interpreting light in all its different moods. Catherine’s method helps free up painting styles, promote brave color use and produce pictures full of life and dramatic light.

Catherine Beale is known for her light-filled watercolors, the luminosity in which is influenced by past years spent in Asia where light and color pervaded every facet of her local daily life. During time spent there her clients included the British High Commission, the British Club and US Embassy in Singapore, organizations including Caltex, BNP and Reuters, and the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Malaysia. Her work was also gifted to the British Royal Family, Singapore’s President, and was sold at airports, hotels and expatriate exhibitions. She exhibits annually with the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries, and has exhibited with the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Institute of Painters. Catherine has contributed to The Artist Magazine (UK), and runs workshops for art groups, the SAA, in community art projects and on holiday retreats.