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Inspiration from Artists Week 39 Bonus Artist James Fletcher Watson

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Welcome to this weekends Bonus Artist : James Fletcher Watson 1913-2004 was a British watercolorist and architect. He founded the Pure Watercolour Society towards the end of his life to promote the tradition of painting with pure, translucent washes. His home in the Cotswolds is now a centre for watercolour painting, with a program of art courses. Another artist that is relatively new to me , I hope you enjoy  his paintings. 

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by Paul (Dixie) Dean

Alan Bickley

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Paul, it’s James Fletcher-Watson…it’s correct in the main heading but not in the intro! I’ll sort out a few more of his excellent watercolours tomorrow!

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by Alan Bickley

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Thank you Alan I had not spotted the mistake I have now corrected it. I’m looking forwards to seeing your choices of his excellent paintings. 

Alan Bickley

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Some of his watercolours are in a similar mould to Wesson, fresh, pure washes etc. He wrote quite a few books over his lifetime, I’ve got one of them in my art library.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Indeed he wrote books, and made a few videos - the similarity with Wesson is that both used 'pure' watercolour - I don't know if either of them ever troubled the masking fluid applicator:  both were sufficiently skilled not to have to.  They were both what I would unhesitatingly call lovely painters - nothing brash, nothing obvious; everything restrained, subtle, certainly dramatic sometimes, always very redolent of the English countryside, and indeed the British, though it's the English landscapes of Fletcher-Watson and Wesson I love most.  F-W also painted in France, his palette changing from the typical mistiness of English weather and light effects to the sharper and bolder colours of the French landscape.  All of that is generalization, of course - F-W's paintings can't be so rigidly classified.  But if you want watercolour at its best - here's where you visit.  
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Marjorie Firth

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They are all rather lovely.
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Just spent a good hour looking at his paintings I look at one and think that’s so good then find one that I like more . His work look deceptively simple but when you look at how it’s achieved it’s not that simple , no wasted brush strokes or unnecessary ones. I just love watercolour and the effects that can be achieved with it , also how it blends it’s self and causes some great patterns in the paint .  Some more of his excellent paintings and a sketch for a painting. 

Sylvia Evans

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Mmmmmmmm... clever and competent and I can well understand why people like them.  One lovely one of trees and some rather nice bucolic scenes... But forgive me for being the Tigger in the woodpile but the rest I find boring... 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Sylvia - tsk.  I grant they're subdued, undemonstrative, etc - but boring?  You've got a nasty dose of ennui, ducks.....  Have a cup of hot chocolate and take another look.   If you want to know what the English landscape looks like, take a look at these, even if you think he went a bit over the top with the raw umber: it's NOT Wales; I should be the first to agree with you about that.  There are no mountains, no strong colour contrasts, little drama.  But - it IS England.  James F-W was no Kyffin, I quite agree with that.  But the English landscape is much less dramatic than the Welsh, its colours are greyed, there's a lot of dull brown, enlivened every now and then by burst of bright yellows and greens: I think he caught that, in the unforgiving medium of watercolour.  Still - we are permitted to disagree.  

Sylvia Evans

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Just had another perusal and still agree with myself.  I still think the subject matter is underwhelming , third one down could almost be my beloved Wales and I like it.  An interesting point Robert re the soft tones of the English landscape... Though being a Lancashire Lass and brought up on the right side of the Pennines ,there the wildness and big skies are what I am used to.....not the mamby pamby south.....though I have acknowledged how excellent his painting is...Horses to water and all that.  
Waddesdon Grotesque

Andrew Roles

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Wonderful landscapes, beautifully painted. However I was particularly drawn to the LNER railway poster view of Horstead Mill. I'm a sucker for good commercial art. 

Jenny Harris

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They are beautifully painted fresh watercolours (but a reminder of my early watercolour classes where our teacher was constantly telling us this was the ‘proper’ way to paint - a style I never took to and in the end she rather gave up on me!)  Like Andrew, I do like his railway carriage poster, it’s a bolder image.

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by Jenny Harris

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