Water Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Artist Comments
"Everyone has a favorite place in nature to visit," says artist Joanie Ford. "This is reminiscent of one of my favorite places. I w...

Artist Comments
"I wanted to capture the key elements of the bay in a highly impressionistic way, painting almost a la prima," shares artist James Nyika. In this quick but en...

Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar shares a soothing scene of the Pacific Ocean skirting along the verdant coast. Invigorating frothy waves waves...

Artist Comments
Enamored with the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, artist Catherine McCargar paints a deep and abiding seascape of the California coast. A family of three stands along a gorgeous impressionist seascape, relishing in nature's boundless splendor. She displays calm violet hues of wet morning sand against gentle white waves and golden cliffs. The breathtaking scenery evokes a palpable sense of wonder, peace, and restoration.

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: seascape, ocean, beach, shore, sand, coastal, California Central Coast, peaceful, calm, shoreline, walking, family, grass, plants, waves, watercolor, paper, small, rocks, cliff, impressionism, impressionism, seascape, watercolor painting, purple

And All is Well...

Artist Comments
Artist Patricia Prendergast displays a breathtaking forest river glistening under the gentle sun. The tranquil stream reflects the dense woodland foliage building an alluring color harmony. She creates a sense of depth by applying multiple layers of pastel and dabbing it with alcohol to achieve a thick consistency. Patricia uses various mark-making techniques to bring the trees and water on the left forward and push the right side into the distance.

About the Artist
Pastel artist Patricia Prendergast creates impressionist artworks that depict the rivers and landscapes near her home in Sacramento, California. With each nature vignette, she captures the sense of larger natural rhythms through quick mark-making, mauve undertones, and a tranquil and serene haziness. Her work recalls the paintings from the Hudson River School such as Thomas Cole and Asher Brown Durand. Before working on her pastels at home in her studio, she spends hours studying nature on walks along the river near her home. Since becoming an artist, she says “everything is more vivid - the beauty of light and shadow in the trees, the subtlety of the color of clouds, the sparkle and reflections in water.” Her work as been exhibited in solo shows around California. She is represented by UGallery.

Words that describe this painting: pastel, river, trees, grass, foliage, impressionism, plein air, paper, pastelwork, reflection, water, nature, impressionism, nature, pastel artwork...

Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar finds inspiration from a row of colorful kayaks while on an outing to Tomales Bay in California. "I was captivated by the rainbow co...

Artist Comments
Artist Joe Giuffrida displays an impressionist view of a modern country lakehouse. He aims to capture the quiet and serenity he e...

Artist Comments
A tranquil scene from a stretch on the American River in Sacramento, California. Artist Patricia Prendergast painted this piece by enlarging a smaller plein a...

Artist Comments
Artist Patricia Prendergast depicts a popular fishing spot along the American River in Sacramento, California. "There were actually many fishermen there when ...

Artist Comments
Painted from a photographic reference, artist Joanie Ford rendered this painting with contrasting soft tones. "I wanted to represen...

Artist Comments
This is my interpretation of a section of the American River near my home. I tried to convey the feeling of peace that I get when walking in this area with the ducks and birds for company. I added the path for a little sense of mystery as to what we might see in those trees beyond the river. I created this piece on Ampersand Pastelbord and it will need framing for display.

About the Artist
Pastel artist Patricia Prendergast creates impressionist artworks that depict the rivers and landscapes near her home in Sacramento, California. With each nature vignette, she captures the sense of larger natural rhythms through quick mark-making, mauve undertones, and a tranquil and serene haziness. Her work recalls the paintings from the Hudson River School such as Thomas Cole and Asher Brown Durand. Before working on her pastels at home in her studio, she spends hours studying nature on walks along the river near her home. Since becoming an artist, she says “everything is more vivid - the beauty of light and shadow in the trees, the subtlety of the color of clouds, the sparkle and reflections in water.” Her work as been exhibited in solo shows around California. She is represented by UGallery.

View down the River...

Artist Comments
"I love waterfalls, and this painting was inspired by a similar waterfall, although this exact scene doesn’t exist," shares artist Joanie Ford...

Artist Comments
"The sunlight danced across the water and on the foliage hanging over the stream, creating a frame for the deep woods beyond," Patri...

Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar explores the tranquility of still waters and deep shadows in this peaceful coastal landscape. The sun's rays shine on the greenery w...

Artist Comments
I painted this from a photo I took at Stafford Lake on a cloudy, rainy day. As I worked on it, it started to feel like a night scene to me and I thought it would be fun to add the moon and its reflection. I like how it provides a counter point in this monochromatic design.

About the Artist
Pastel artist Patricia Prendergast creates impressionist artworks that depict the rivers and landscapes near her home in Sacramento, California. With each nature vignette, she captures the sense of larger natural rhythms through quick mark-making, mauve undertones, and a tranquil and serene haziness. Her work recalls the paintings from the Hudson River School such as Thomas Cole and Asher Brown Durand. Before working on her pastels at home in her studio, she spends hours studying nature on walks along the river near her home. Since becoming an artist, she says “everything is more vivid - the beauty of light and shadow in the trees, the subtlety of the color of clouds, the sparkle and reflections in water.” Her work as been exhibited in solo shows around California. She is represented by UGallery.

Moon over...

Artist Comments
Light seeps between voluminous flowing clouds. A cool wind blows ruffling leaves from tall trees while birds fly away to the distance. "I find that getting aw...

Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar based this painting off of a plein air piece she created while standing in the middle of this walking path and horse trail. "I had t...

Artist Comments
A panoramic autumn view of rolling hills and a sailboat on the bay in Northern California. The blue water provides a refreshing sight within the grassy straw-...

Artist Comments
I painted this from a smaller painting that I did on site at one of my favorite spots along the American River. The sun was going in and out of the clouds, so it was tricky to get a consistent lighting effect. The surface is a sanded paper with a neutral lavender tone that sets off the luminosity of my pastel sticks.

About the Artist
Pastel artist Patricia Prendergast creates impressionist artworks that depict the rivers and landscapes near her home in Sacramento, California. With each nature vignette, she captures the sense of larger natural rhythms through quick mark-making, mauve undertones, and a tranquil and serene haziness. Her work recalls the paintings from the Hudson River School such as Thomas Cole and Asher Brown Durand. Before working on her pastels at home in her studio, she spends hours studying nature on walks along the river near her home. Since becoming an artist, she says “everything is more vivid - the beauty of light and shadow in the trees, the subtlety of the color of clouds, the sparkle and reflections in water.” Her work as been exhibited in solo shows around California. She is represented by UGallery.

Words that describe this painting: tonalism...

Artist Comments
Patricia set up her easel on an early fall morning to catch the beauty of the fog rising off of the river. The sun was just beginnin...