For nearly two decades, watercolor artist Ali Cavanaugh has painted portraits of her children and friends. Capturing more than the delicate features of her subjects, she imbues her work with tender, unseen details that bring the paintings to life. Working in layers with as few as six colors, she creates a deep and luminous aura that draws us in and keeps us engaged.
A START IN OIL
Originally trained as an oil painter, Cavanaugh created her first watercolor to use as trade for some carpentry renovation on her home. With the watercolor paper she had left over from the project, she produced several experimental watercolor paintings. She included those three watercolors in a 2006 exhibition of her oil paintings in Austin, Texas, and they generated considerable interest.
So much so that the artist embraced the challenge of leaving oil painting behind and spent months exploring watercolor and honing her artistic voice. Since that time, Cavanaugh has exhibited her watercolors in dozens of solo and group exhibitions and has developed a program of mentoring other artists.
Quiet Tide, an exhibition highlighting Cavanaugh’s portrait work, will be held at the Sam and Adele Golden Gallery in New Berlin, New York, through February 14, 2025.
