This is a mixed media watercolour painting by contemporary Australian artist John Lovett, whose specialty is bringing out textures in buildings. When I was in Hanoi, I kept thinking how much he would enjoy and be able to capture the interesting historical buildings landscape there.Just bought another bunch of his DVD demonstrations online. I think I will drop an email to him to suggest the Vietnam idea. Afterall, he organizes painting tours in Australia and Europe, so why not Vietnam? It's a shorter flight from downunder, and I am sure it will be well-received by art students.
The other thing that I kept wondering about in Hanoi was why there were no watercolour works there, only lots of oils. To me, Vietnam is a genteel, subtle and ephemereal country, inextricably tied up to lakes, rivers, and the sea. I can think of no better medium than watercolurs to capture that spirit. Hopefully more watercolorists (both local and international) will start painting there.
"For me, the unpredictability and uncontrollable nature of watercolor make it the most exciting and expressive medium of all. The opportunity to meander somewhere between mastery and complete lack of control during the course of a painting make it one of the most engaging mediums." - Lovett
