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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Joseph Zbukvic on plein air

Extracts from my upcoming book Konstantin Sterkhov "Masters of Watercolor. All about Plein Air"

Joseph Zbukvic is featured in several instructional DVDs.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and his work appears in collections and galleries around the world.
One may say that Joseph Zbukvic sets the standards of the World of Watercolor today. 

THERE ARE NO BAD SUBJECTS, JUST BAD PAINTINGS
"...Every painting begins with the choice of subject, not with the first mark on the paper. Many beginner thinks that going to exotic locations will produce great work. Venice is a great example of this. We see so many paintings of gondolas, St Marks square or Rialto Bridge painted to say the artist was there, with no thought given to composition, lighting, atmosphere or mood."  

Joseph Zbukvic (Australia) painting in Wuzhen, China


Joseph Zbukvic (Australia). 
A subject and the painting on the spot.

"A good painting has magic of its own regardless of the subject matter. A simple still life with couple of quinces or a vase of flowers. A country lane or just a portrait. Mona Lisa is a simple painting and yet it surpasses everything in its fame and appeal. Why? It has that something else that is simply not explainable. You can’t put a finger on it or give a reason, it just works."


Joseph Zbukvic (Australia). 
A subject and the painting on the spot.

"Number one factor I look for when I paint is that feeling of wanting to be in that painting, a sense of presence. Second is the composition and quality of light. Then I simply paint and hope that magic takes over. If it doesn’t, it goes into the reject bin. 

Artist’s job is to tell a story, not just paint a picture."

Joseph Zbukvic and Alvaro Castagnet painting on the spot in Shanghai

Read the whole article in my upcoming book Konstantin Sterkhov "Masters of Watercolor. All about Plein Air". The release is expected in October 2019.

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful post! Thanks for sharing this incredible artist! I need to work more en Plein air. :)

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