Nanski's Dec envelope (Watercolor & Wyeth)

Pointed pen loveliness from Nanski. It is Feb 7 as I write this and I need to start my Feb exchange envelopes. This inspires me to get out the pointed nibs.

Tomorrow I will be talking about watercolor. Since we need more words today, I will talk about Andrew Wyeth. As I pondered watercolor as a medium, I couldn't think of many (any) really well known artists who worked in watercolor and I wondered why I couldn't think of any. I asked a friend of mine and she thought of a couple who did some watercolor work, but not exclusively. We discussed - wondering what is it with watercolor that makes it so popular for wildlife art and illustration - but not *fine* art. Neither of us thought of Andrew Wyeth at the time. 

Andrew Wyeth is the *poster boy* for the endless debate on that *fine line* where artists are considered to have reached that level that seems to defy definition. We did not figure it out why watercolor seems to be a *lesser* medium - or if that is just our imagination. If anyone wants to weigh in on this topic - please do. I feel like I might have forgotten important artists who should not be forgotten.

The only reason I remembered Andrew Wyeth was from an article that popped up in the NYT. Two islands that the Wyeth family has owned have been donated to Colby College in Maine. I surfed around a bit - reading about Andrew Wyeth. The debate over his *standing* has not been settled. It is often said that he was an illustrator, not an artist. Then I wondered if that was because he worked in watercolor most of the time. 

Here is the article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/arts/design/andrew-wyeth-colby-college-acquisition.html?searchResultPosition=1

NYTimes usually lets people have a few articles for free. I get mine free through my library card.

Apologies if you can't read the article - but there is a ton of information about the Wyeth family if you Google.

And when was watercolor invented? Did it come after egg tempera? I recall that egg tempera was very old. I don't even know when oils started. Geesh. I need to go back to school. Maybe there is a well researched website - just waiting for me. AllTheStuffICantRemember.com 

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A couple days ago I had a jazzy K for Kate -- here is Halloween N for Nanski that will be lost by the time October rolls around. Although that is one fine bat and the skulls are very nice. Too much stuff in my files.