Martha Phillips
Contemporary Realism in Watercolor,Acrylic and Mosaics
Ithaca New York

Most of my paintings are done in watercolor, although I sometimes paint in acrylics. I love the transparency of watercolor. It is a very versatile as well as an expressive medium. It is a wonderful portable. You can take a set of watercolors the size of a box of crayons, a folding brush and a pad of paper and go anywhere. I begin each of my paintings with several graphite sketches. Then I come up with a composition I am pleased with I transfer it to 300lb archival watercolor paper. 300lb paper is very forgiving and does not need to be stretched. It allows you to lift colors from the paper with out ruining it.

 Watercolor is about controlling the uncontrollable. For me it is like putting together a puzzle. I interact with the medium by juxtaposition light against dark, color against color and adding shape, line and texture. In my paintings I bring together my life long interest in religion and creativity. I enjoy seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. My life long interest in religion and creativity comes together in my paintings. I like to take a story or passage from the Bible and meditate on it until I come up with some ideas that can be translated into contemporary religious themes. I also do religious mosaics. The mosaic medium lends itself well to religious iconography and symbolism. My mosaics are all made with recycled which expresses my religious view point. Life is made up of many different pieces. No matter how broken the pieces of our life may become the pieces can be put back together in many different configurations that can produce a beautiful end product. Most of my paintings are done in watercolor, although I sometimes paint in acrylics. I love the transparency of watercolor. It is a very versatile as well as an expressive medium. It is a wonderful portable. You can take a set of watercolors the size of a box of crayons, a folding brush and a pad of paper and go anywhere. I begin each of my paintings with several graphite sketches. Then I come up with a composition I am pleased with I transfer it to 300lb archival watercolor paper. 300lb paper is very forgiving and does not need to be stretched. It allows you to lift colors from the paper with out ruining it.

 Watercolor is about controlling the uncontrollable. For me it is like putting together a puzzle. I interact with the medium by juxtaposition light against dark, color against color and adding shape, line and texture. In my paintings I bring together my life long interest in religion and creativity. I enjoy seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. My life long interest in religion and creativity comes together in my paintings. I like to take a story or passage from the Bible and meditate on it until I come up with some ideas that can be translated into contemporary religious themes.

 I also do religious mosaics. The mosaic medium lends itself well to religious iconography and symbolism. My mosaics are all made with recycled which expresses my religious view point. Life is made up of many different pieces. No matter how broken the pieces of our life may become the pieces can be put back together in many different configurations that can produce a beautiful end product.