Chontele reminded me that I need to write more about watercolors. You may have noticed I have a slight preference towards impressionist landscapes in oils, but I like what I like! However a wise man listens to his wife, so I have a watercolorist to share with you today, George Elbert Burr.
He was an American artist known mostly as a printmaker for his etchings of desert subjects. But it’s his watercolors that caught my attention. He often did them plein air as sketches, which is perhaps why they have such a fresh and spontaneous feel. There’s also a simplicity about them that I find pleasing. The following are some of my favorites, in no particular order, plus some observations.
Venice
A simple play of blues, purples, and white. Notice the horizontal theme of the ocean compared to the more solid and shapely theme of the sky and clouds. Also notice how the sky bleeds into the ocean, creating a subtle color link between the two.
From Above Pont-y-Pant
A beautiful demonstration of space with the distinct foreground, middle ground, and background, and the sense of atmospheric perspective. With each jump back in space, the colors get noticeably cooler and weaker. There’s also a strong visual path. My eyes are pulled into the foreground, through the gulley, and around to the background mountains in an S-like motion.
The Rhone From the Path to Salvari (Switzerland)
A similar subject but with more temperature contrast, with the oranges and yellows on the left-hand side against the deep blues on the right. Orange and blue are complementary colors (they oppose each other on the color wheel), hence their striking contrast.
Shore at Pwllheli, N. Wales
Burr did a great job capturing the ocean’s movement and activity here. The highlights and the shadows below the whitewash do most of the work (people often forget these shadows, but they convey a significant amount of information and realism). The shore at the bottom gives a bit of temperature and value contrast.
At Pwllheli, N. Wales
A similar example but with a bit more drama and color. Look at those wonderful and subtle yellows and reds in the sky.
Criccieth, N. Wales
And here’s a quieter version, showing Burr’s range and control.
Alban Mountains From via Tuscolana, Rome
Here you can see either pen or pencil drawing overlaid with watercolor. It’s a powerful combination. The drawing provides the intricate and sharp detail, and the watercolor provides the clean colors and transparent washes.
The Wye Near Ross
Look at how Burr painted the grass in the foreground. Just a few washes of color and a hint of texture. Simple. He took a more intricate approach with the water, weaving streaks of blue, purple, and green together. His strokes also suggest the water’s gesture.
Venice
A good reminder that a small, busy area can have the same or more impact as a large quiet area.
Nevin, North Wales
See how Burr used dark accents to illustrate and define the rocks along the shore. I’m not sure what his process was, but I imagine he started with flat shapes of a middle color and then went over the top with the dark accents using a finer brush.
Here are a few others:
Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Also, Color Masterclass enrollment closes tonight for those interested. This is by far our best and most comprehensive course to date, and we only open enrollment a few times each year.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
love the art but the dirty sensor not so much.
Loved the paintings and your
Comments. As watercolor artist I have
Appreciation for G E Burr’s
Touch and his use of color.
Rusty
Dirty sensor? Please explain.
I think he’s referring to dirt on the camera lens or light sensor which shows up as a dark spot on the images.
You can tell it’s the sensor as (I didn’t try to find more) there are 2 spots that show up on each image in exactly the same position. Meaning the camera sensor needs cleaning. Amazing watercolors though! I did not know of this artist before now.
I love these watercolour paintings!
I have enjoyed all your articles on oil paintings etc and appreciate learning so much, but I only use watercolours, so to have more on this subject would be so extremely helpful to me. Please continue to add watercolour examples (& possibly your own work?) to your agenda!!!
I have been following your work (and saving each article) for so long and have learned so much… I am very grateful to have had this opportunity – but more on watercolour painting would be ‘The Icing on the cake’!!!
Thank you very much for all your efforts,
Myra
Just loved these! The water and sky treatments: absolutely wonderful!!
Wow Dan I’m blown away by this one. I think I’ve been on your mailing list since you started. I am a palette knife artist, high texture acrylics. I enjoy your critiques, observations best of all. This one I like best. Even with the vagueness of his work the simplicity is strong. You can see everything about everything you see. Thank you for the spark my friend. And thank you Chontele.
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful and moving paintings Dan and Chontele!!
I began with watercolor and do still enjoy it!!
Many thanks,
Belinda
These watercolors are wonderful. Seeing landscapes in watercolors gives me new appreciation for the way a medium has its own way of expressing a subject. Being an oil paint and oil pastel painter with a love of landscapes,I am absolutely fascinated to realize the effect these watercolor landscapes create. In the hands of a master painter like this one, the beauty is for me, extraordinary.
this is the way I want my paintings to look! thank you for posting these.
I appreciate discovering artists and their work through your generous posts and informative observations. G. E. Burr was unknown to me and now, thanks to you and Chontele, has become my focus of exploration for the next few weeks. I learn so much from your articles and artist profiles. While my medium is not paint, I find many ideas to experiment with in my own work when I spend a portion of my mornings in study. I recommend you often to my fellow artists as an excellent resource for growth in both technique and expression.
Hello Don, Chontele, Kathleen and other friends of the Academy,
I completely agree with these observations. I love Don’s generous teaching and sharing approach to art. Although I work mostly in watercolour and pastel, I always find kernels for technique, motivation and reflection in these pages. So very grateful, and yes, these are beautiful and instructive watercolour sketches… will study them closely with interest.
Thank you!
Nella
Thank you for sharing this wonderful artist with us Dan. Fabulous use of the medium. Beautiful impressionistic paintings. It was a great pleasure.
Robyn
Stunning and beautiful! Let’s examine some great pastelists as well, (Degas, etc.).
Much appreciated! So useful.
Gorgeous ❤️. And yes, seeing these paintings is reason enough to get back to watercolors … occasionally 😉. Still love acrylics and oils. It’s ALL good. Thanks for sharing!!
Loved seeing these watercolor paintings!
Very inspiring…love Burr’s style.
Thank you for posting!
Thanks for including watercolor paintings (Chontele! 😉), my media of choice. Watercolorists sometimes seem overlooked and underrated, as if their medium is “easier” than oil or acrylic. But, they have to preserve the light areas of their work, needing a clearer idea of the finished painting right from the start, without as much room for error. These stunning examples of very intentional brushwork are amazing and inspiring!
Thanks for “mixing it up” with the watercolor. That’s my medium and so appreciate the info and insight of other painters. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Chontele! I’m fascinated with watercolor. Thanks Dan, I always learn from your comments and get inspired.
Thanks so much, Dan, for featuring a watercolorist. That is my medium, and often combined with ink. I’d never heard of Mr. Burr nor seen his work before, and I’m very impressed with such finesse in every painting. Truly beautiful and inspiring. Thanks.
I agree with all the excelent previous comments in order to thank you (and Chontele of course) for your attention to we, the watercolour lovers.
I am also following you from the very beginning and waiting for this look.
It mas real useful.
Thanks a lot and keep on this way!!
Regards
Samuel
Thank you, Chontele! Love these watercolors. So inspirational.
Thank you as always Dan and a special shout out to Chontel for the suggestion. You have to have a plan and stick to it for watercolor. Looking at these beautiful examples by this artist shows what we all hope to achieve with our own work in some small way.
These paintings are lovely. I will ask a freind, a watercolorrist, to look at these. Thanks again for your informative notes. I have learned a lot.
These are wonderful—a new artist for me. Thanks for posting them. Please tell us the size of each painting.
Watercolours —look nice —however the colour is weak and washed out —paper wrinkles
Thats why oil on canvas is so powerful —-intense colours –last hundreds of years
from renaissance to Picasso and Renoir /Degas/ Dali —Van Gogh —Jean Louis David
& so on
I like the delicate transparency of pigment partnering with the flow of water. Truly magical.
Loved these! Especially At Pwllheli N.Wales, The Wye Near Ross, & Nevin N Wales – his detail, blending of color with watercolour I find amazing! Thanx so much for sharing.
I often find useful information in your posts. But this one hit the spot since I am a watercolourist and have been at it for more than 35 years. These paintings are gorgeous. Thank you for sharing … thanks to your wife !
Such inspirational works of art. Thank you for sharing!
Really enjoying your Art Masters series. Wonderful to discover these artists and see their works. Really appreciate your taking the time to do this research and sharing information and images with your readers!
Thanks to you, Dan, and to Chontele. This is the most amazingly beautiful collection of watercolour paintings I have ever seen!
Thankyou, wonderful to learn from
I’m not a watercolorist but no matter. These paintings are beautiful and the colours used can be used in any medium to provide the necessary effects.
Thank you!
These are beautiful. I started painting with oils when I was 12. I’m now 60. A few years ago I experimented with other mediums including acrylics, gouache and watercolor to name a few. I felt completely out of my element with all of them. Each one handles so differently. Dan, have you ever done a basic watercolor workshop that teaches the fundamentals of using watercolors? If not, would you ever consider it?
Robin, check out Anthony Roebuck. His website is A Watercolor Affair. He lives in France. His website is so full just like Dan’s. He even breaks down how to read a tube of paint. You won’t be disappointed.
anthony@watercoloraffair.com
He has a cute logo too.
Thank you. This is very helpful. The colours are stunning.
Dan, I don’t think you ‘have’ to talk about watercolors. But do appreciate when you do cause your style of writing and research is sooo indepth. I always enjoy reading your articles. The artist you selected I never heard of, but sure there are many. I like his style and will check him out further.
I love both watercolors and oils. I have certain artists that I follow in the different mediums for style and/or learning cause I like their work and use for my references. You for oils style and learning. Jed Dorsey for acrylics. I only like acrylics for graphic design but I love his acrylic landscapes. Poppy Balser for her waterclor style and several others. Anthony Roebuck ‘A Watercolor Affair’ for learning. I really like Silver Point. Not getting into pastels but amazed by artists who do. And many old masters Dutch, Italian, French…… Now I have an interest in gouche for landscapes but not with acrylics. Why, I don’t know. The list is endless. No one artist can do it all but we all dabble and it’s fun.
These paintings are absolutely beautiful to me as a lover and painter of landscapes. I did not know this artist, so thank you, Chontele and Dan, for sharing this post. One of my favorites over the years!
Thank you so much for listening to your wife and sending out these beautiful, inspiring watercolor paintings.
I’m new here and I love watercolour! Thank you for sharing with the world your thoughts, findings and processes about painting. You have a talent making things simple by letting us enjoy your observations. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Dan, thank you—and your wife for recommending—a post on watercolor. These are beautiful. I was not previously familiar with Burr. Now I will look up more of his work. A terrific post!
Love his paintings. I like working with oil but also have a go at watercolour. Thank you again for all your wonderful insights. We never stop learning!
Thanks for sharing these watercolors and your insight into them. I especially love seeing how the artist dealt with water in these paintings. I’ve been learning to paint with watercolors for about 6 years now and studying other artists work is inspiring.