Watercolor Artists Whose Work is Not Representational

March 4, 2015 7:34 AM

I love to look at and create watercolor paintings. However, most of the watercolor art I find isn’t to my taste because it’s so representational. Boats, still lifes, nature, and portraits do nothing for me. I do like the watercolors I’ve seen by Gerhard Richter and Zao Wou-Ki. Who are some other artists who are doing or have done interesting things with nonrepresentational / abstract watercolor?
posted by mermaidcafe to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Best answer: Ronald Slowinski
posted by PussKillian at 8:09 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Lots of non-representational artists did work in watercolors. Google "watercolor klee" or "watercolor miro", for example, and look at the images. You might also be interested in Van Gogh's watercolors: Van Gogh was representational, but probably not in the sense that bores you.
posted by ubiquity at 8:15 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Paul Klee was a true multimedia artist. Sometimes watercolor, sometime other media.

Auguste Macke created some nice watercolors.

Helen Frankenthaler had a very watercolory style, though I think most of her work was oil paint.

Wm. Turner has some very ethereal watercolors.

Kandinsky did watercolors

Jean Arp

Georgia O'Keefe
posted by ecorrocio at 8:29 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Maurice Estève
posted by elgilito at 8:31 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

Sam Francis.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:57 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

You'd probably really like this blog Abstract Comics and this book.
posted by coevals at 1:15 PM on March 4, 2015

Best answer: Thank you for asking this. I'm LOVING these replies (and your two example artists).
posted by IAmBroom at 8:55 PM on March 4, 2015