Around age 25 I purchased a book on watercolor, leafed through the pages and told myself ‘Well, how hard can this be?’ I bought brushes, paints, paper- but it just didn’t go very well, I put the things in a drawer and a year so later gave it another try. The results were underwhelming.
A decade later I decided what I needed was instruction in watercolor. I found a class for beginners at the DuPage Art League taught by Wayne Atkinson. In my first class with Wayne, I had apparently over-wet my paper – water running off my paper, off the table, on to the floor. He gave me a roll of paper towels and said ‘Looks like you need a do over.’ I painted with Wayne for about eight years prior to his passing and got a little better.
While visiting with my mother in Buffalo, New York she informed that a local art group was having some big deal painter come in to do a series of demonstrations. I had never heard of Cheng-Khee Chee, but tired as I was, I went out to see him paint. This was the night my life in art changed.
Professor Chee was one of the most affable and quietly funny persons I had ever met. For his first demonstration he set up a slanted easel, totally soaked a piece of watercolor paper, and started throwing paints at it. He then informed the audience that we don’t need any fancy brushes – and proceeded to pull some tissue from the box. He went on to lift perfectly formed koi from the mass of paint on his paper. It was magic! It was fast! It was amazing and I had the feeling ‘I can do that.’ But then Wayne passed away. My interest in art somehow got replaced by an interest in bicycling and I put away all of my art materials for 10 years.
Then the watercolor itch returned. I found Peggy McGahan teaching watercolor classes. The slight difference in our styles was noticeable, but Peggy was the driving force that got me interested in the Nature Artists’ Guild and she also encouraged me to try exhibiting some of my pieces in an upcoming show, something I had sworn I would never do. I got to bring people out to see my work. Well that was certainly addictive.
Lately, I have been greatly influenced by Dr. William Mancuso. He’s provided my favorite quote — ‘It’s only a piece of paper.’ He has got me not only to paint small but more importantly, paint often, paint for myself, paint as though the pieces will never be seen by others. Fill up book after book and the odds are that some small fraction of the effort will actually turn out.
I love to try to capture bits of what I have seen and share those impressions with others. Central to my work is the experience of and the expression of joy. I find that child-like, unrealistic, unbounded joy can be expressed through color alone. Shape, balance and design, while helpful, often cannot capture the joy created by posting reds, yellows and oranges together. Add a few blues and greens and you can be taken back to the first time you picked up a crayon and shakily depicted your yard, your house, and the sky.
I thank my wife for her support and for having such a good eye when it comes to matting and framing. I am grateful to all of the people who have provided encouragement, past and present.
Share impressions of joy. Evoke joy in others.
Joe Rizzo
Nature Artists' Guild 