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Winter's Approach
oil, 34 x 26, 2008.
All works by Joseph Alleman. |
Artists are the sharpest of observers, attuned to a person's passing gesture or the play of light and shadow on a building façade—but not everything that catches our eye is a painting waiting to happen. For Utah watercolorist and oil painter Joseph Alleman, the stories that hold his interest are reflections of his passions and his environment.
As a suburban teenager Alleman had a penchant for quiet, still fields, and unadorned old buildings. As a practicing artist whose studio is 15 minutes from the nearest town, those same youthful interests remain. "What I see and paint—I've seen them hundreds of times before," the artist says. "They become interesting when they begin to have a story or mood. When the clouds are just the right color grey or the roof has finally crashed through the barn I've seen all winter long."
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Stalwart
watercolor, 10 x 7, 2006. |
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Alleman's scenes are spare, and what draws the viewer in is the mood he evokes with basic elements. White Barns is a simple scene of a cluster of farm buildings hemmed in by rich green grass and a dilapidated fence. Perhaps the buildings are abandoned, perhaps not, but the view feels almost unbearably still. There's an eerie foreboding that compels you to look and look again.
In Tornado and Stalwart, Alleman has chosen local workmen as his subjects. The titles belie the fact that the figures are stooped and aged with features that aren't as well defined as the badges of their labor. They look weary, but there is a sense of resolve and dignity that makes Alleman's larger-than-life titles somehow fitting. "There's more to them than what you'd see in passing," the artist explains. "They have a story and lived a life, and it's not the kind of life where you race to get ahead. They are trying to hold onto something that's not glamorous or fast-paced, but it's worthwhile."
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White Barns
watercolor, 12 x 16, 2008.
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Depicting subjects—scenes that are not necessarily picturesque or figures that are not traditionally appealing—beautifully drives Alleman. "I like finding the beauty in a subject that isn't necessarily 'beautiful'," he says. "In life, we aren't often surrounded by bouquets of flowers. Don't get me wrong—bouquets of flowers are nice and have their place in our lives. But I'm more interested in the subtle aspects of beauty—texture, shape, sometimes the subject matter, and sometimes the subject matter as an opposing force in terms of beauty."
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Journey at Dawn
watercolor, 13 x 9, 2003. |
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According to Alleman, being able to appreciate subject matter that is often overlooked comes from trusting your instincts. "There are scenes or objects that I see, and I know there's a painting there. But it takes a while to find the story. I watch and wait for that interesting mood or moment. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it never happens. But if you see something—act on that instinct. You may not know the whole story or how it will work out, but the moment is there and gone."
The Best of Watercolor is a special edition of Watercolor magazine that can help you attune your artistic instincts, so you recognize unique subject matters with ease and depict them confidently. Each article offers insightful tips on materials and techniques from artists such as Jamie Wyeth and Bo Bartlett, ensuring that the next time you paint, every stroke of your brush will be better than the last.
