My painting has always tended towards realism, but I’ve been a lover of French Impressionism since childhood. I’ve long harbored a desire to incorporate that loose impressionistic style into my watercolor work but could never quite get there. When a friend introduced me to Yupo paper, very suddenly my usual realism went flying right out the window.

There’s much about Yupo painting that defies control. Wet paint sits on top of the medium, flowing and randomly blending until it air dries rather than being absorbed as in regular rag paper. The look is often watery and you can’t fiddle with it much or you will lift the paint right back off. Voila! Instant looseness, and I kind of love it!