Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Illustration Board, Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Gouache, Handmade Paper, Graphite
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Permanent Marker
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Permanent Marker
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Permanent Marker
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Magazine Paper
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pen
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Oil Pastel, Watercolor
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Etching
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Thread, Paper, Ink
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Thread, Wood
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Watercolor, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Graphite
20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Tempera, Watercolor
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Ink, Watercolor
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Conté, Graphite
1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper
Artist Comments
"Penguins are amazing family focused creatures, and I really do enjoy painting them," explains Catherine. She created this painting on heavyweight paper using primarily watercolor, with touches of graphite and gouache as well.
About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California. While she is well-versed in a range of media, her preferred medium for painting is watercolor. The fluidity of the paint allows her to capture the muted undertones and the fleeting light found in the natural world. While the backgrounds of her paintings are impressionistic, the foregrounds of her paintings are often highly detailed, showcasing her technical mastery over her medium.
Words that describe this painting: animals, penguins, animals, representational, watercolor painting, grey
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Ink
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink, Archival Paper, Handmade Paper, Monoprint, Monotype
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A bright day in the high desert plains. Pastel yellow, pink and blue balanced with the earthy tones of the landscape. "Landscapes when viewed in the open plai...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Watercolor
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Board, Pastel
1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Pen
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Chalk, Pastel, Archival Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper, Pencil
1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Pastel
Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Board, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Charcoal, Acrylic, Pencil
Early 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Pen
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Ink
1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Archival Paper, Ink, Pen
2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Paper, Ink, Sumi Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Mulberry Paper, Color Pencil