Most people picture watercolor the traditional way: on paper, matted, behind glass. I still paint that way. But I’ve also been painting on canvas with watercolor for many years.
Why I Paint Watercolor on Canvas
Watercolor on canvas is exciting, liberating, rewarding, fun, and challenging all at the same time. When I taught it in workshops, I told students it would bring back the excitement of their very first painting, no matter how long they had been painting. That held true for me too.
The Process
Canvas does not take watercolor the way paper does, so the work starts before any paint goes down. I start by applying gesso to the canvas with a hard-edged tool. An old credit card works just fine. Sometimes I press leaves, grass, or small sticks into the gesso while it is wet, creating textures that become part of the painting. You do not get that on paper.
Then comes the painting. The paint sits on the surface instead of soaking in, moving, pooling, and drying in ways I can’t always predict. A spray bottle, a little alcohol, and a towel to catch the run-off are as much a part of my kit as brushes. Sometimes I incorporate charcoal or pastel, too, which technically makes the finished piece mixed media. For me, it’s simply about creating the painting I envision.
Once the painting is finished, sealing it is the final important step. This ensures that the watercolor is locked in and protected. Once it is sealed, the painting does not need glass. Like an oil or acrylic painting, it can hang without glass or a mat, eliminating glare and making it easier to display in a variety of spaces. Most of my canvases are gallery-wrapped, with the painting carried around the edges, so they go straight on the wall with no frame at all.
Collectors especially appreciate watercolor on canvas for lake houses and family rooms, where a traditional framed watercolor behind glass may not be as practical. My recent Ireland series, along with many of my other works, was painted using this technique.
You can see the work on my Artwork Archive profile. If you want to see a canvas in person or ask about a piece, get in touch.
