“I strive to capture a mood, a feeling, an atmosphere, a sense of place,” says Frank Eber. “In my artist statement, I describe it like this: I try to look beyond the scene to what lies underneath — to the energy that gives it life. If only I could paint that! In essence, I am trying to paint what cannot be painted.
“ ‘Be like water’ is an old Zen saying. And like water, watercolor has a natural flow. The way it flows will determine the way a painting will look in the end. The ‘doer’ (or painter) is secondary. Maybe that’s what people mean when they say watercolor ‘paints itself.’
“I welcome the unpredictable nature of watercolor. Maybe that’s due to the way I like to paint, but it’s hard to say since I work in oils too. As painters, we have to learn to adapt to the medium, no matter which one we choose. In this way, watercolor is often misunderstood. The best I can do is guide the process along; a big part is up to chance.”
Want to see Frank put his process into action live? Well, you can! We’re thrilled to announce that he has joined the faculty for Watercolor Live in January. Click here to find out more about this exciting online watercolor event!
To Frank Eber, I have been captivated by your “The Forgotten Ones” in my Watercolor Magazine. As a grandmother of 2 beautiful African American boys, I can relate to the wondrous variety of colors in their skin. You have done an exquisite job of capturing the facial expressions as well as the multitude of colors.