Water Paintings: Why Artists Keep Returning to Water Art

 Put the question in front of a group of painters: What is the most difficult subject? And one of them will reply, ‘Water '. It doesn't have a shape or colour of its own, and it never stands still. But water paintings are on display in museums, and the subject has survived almost every art movement. Water art keeps drawing artists back for more, and it can never be solved.

A Subject That Has No Surface

An artist should have something to hold onto; most subjects give him or her that. A face is structured, a bowl of fruit or any objects are weighted, flowers have geometry. Water art has neither. It can be a mirror one day, and a window the next day! Can be transparent, opaque, black, green or white within a few feet.

It's why water demands a specific type of viewing. The only way to paint water is to just paint it. What you see is what you paint: light, sky in the light, the swirling movement under the surface. When a painter learns to paint water, he learns to see more truly.

Water In Art History

If you take part in a water art competition, you should know about the history of water art. The extended list of artists who have explored the theme of water in art demonstrates the vast range of possible meanings of water. 

• The Great Wave off Kanagawa (around 1831) is a woodblock print and was created by Katsushika Hokusai. The wave rises above the boats and is even raised above the viewer. Water here is strength, and men are little.

• In his later work, J.M.W. Turner blurred the distinction between sea, sky, and light. His tempestuous seascapes respond to the water like an uncontaminated atmosphere, a force rather than a form.

• During the last three decades of his life, Claude Monet created an estimated 250 paintings of the water lily pond. Water was a means for Monet to reflect, to play with light, and for time to pass.

• Winslow Homer produced images of the sea as unfeeling and threatening, and produced watercolour images of the splendor of the waters of the tropics.

• David Hockney's A Bigger Splash (1967) depicted water simply as a splash next to a diving board. The painting depicts a scene that is somewhat surreal, featuring a moment immediately following an event but with no people visible in the scene.

These artists demonstrate that water art isn't a single tradition. It's lots of them, and each artist discovers something unique with the water element.

Why Water Suits So Many Moods?

Water conveys emotion more than any subject other than perhaps music. 

• Stillness of the water: the calmness of the lake can be a quiet made audible.

• A storm swell or flood can be overwhelming – it's a danger.

• Memory: reflections and ripples, things that are there but not there.

• The river: a river is never the same water twice; it keeps changing. 

• Life: rain, rivers and oceans connect to growth, renewal and survival.

So, water painting remains relevant, in any form. An artist today can reference it for climate, migration, grief, or joy, and it will be like a natural fit.

Tips For Painting Water

If you wish to experiment, a few sensible practices will assist you. Especially if you are participating in a water painting competition. 

• Look carefully before you paint. Observe water for a few minutes. Make note of the changes in reflections and the location of light breaks.

• Start with the sky. Water's color is predominantly influenced by the things above it. If the sky is perfect, then the water will be.

• Simplify. When you paint all the ripples, water appears to be put together by the artist, rather than by nature.

• Leave white space. Paper can be the brightest light in the watercolour medium in particular.

• Think in layers. Water has depth and should be built up as translucent washes or glazes rather than flat colour.

• Draw what it feels like. A rough sea and a quiet pond are different emotions, and the brushwork must reflect this.

Where Contemporary Water Art Lives Now

In today's context, water art can be found in oil painting, watercolours, ink, photography, sculpture and mixed media. It can be exhibited in galleries as well as in open calls. Such as the water art competition by TERAVARNA, which is focused on the theme and allows any style and medium. Calls of this nature provide artists with an opportunity to revisit an element that they might not have intended to pursue at another time, and it demonstrates the various ways an element can be interpreted.

The Takeaway

When the subject is constantly moving, the paintings have a long life. Water paintings and the theme are something different to each generation of artists, as water mirrors the artist. Whether you're a novice with the first blue wash or a seasoned painter returning to the sea for the hundredth time, the task is the same: take a close look at the water, and allow it to reveal to you what you haven't expected.

FAQ Section

Q: What should artists check first in a call for art?
A: Start by reviewing the organizer, theme, eligibility requirements, submission deadline, and what selected artists will receive. These details help determine whether the opportunity aligns with your artistic goals.

Q: Are entry fees common in open calls for artists?

A: Yes. Many open calls for artists charge entry fees to cover jury, administration, exhibition, and marketing costs. Artists should compare the fee against the potential benefits and exposure offered.

Q: Why is it important to read the rights and licensing section?

A: The rights section explains how organizers may use your artwork images. A fair call for art allows promotional use, while overly broad or permanent rights may require closer review before submitting.