OCA tutor wins award

2^nd Prize has been awarded to James Cowan for his watercolour ‘The Bakehouse, Vienna’

Although James regularly puts work into exhibitions, mostly in London, this was the first time he had sent work to the Royal Watercolour Society. “Just getting into an exhibition is great news, so I was delighted to also hear I had won the Winsor and Newton 2nd Prize.”
James’ work
Most of James’ paintings are done using Watercolour and so “the art and materials prize will enable me to extent my range of colours , try out some different paper and  buy some new Kolinsky sable brushes, as good quality artists materials are essential in getting the best results.”
The inspiration for the prize winning painting The Bakehouse,Vienna was a direct result of a trip to Vienna, a city James has always wanted to visit with its fantastic collection of Klimt, Schiele and Bruegel paintings.
“I was staying in a Hotel near the Alser Stasser and on the way into town would pass this Bakery that had two murals on the exterior that depicted scenes of the growing and baking process, from the sowing of seeds to the baking of the bread. Around the shop were various, advertising and traffic signs in German and together with a rather smart metallic dustbin, they represented what seemed like a typical Viennese scene. I took a number of photographs for reference and back home decided to work on the picture. In order to establish the composition, I first downloaded the photographs into photoshop and then manipulated the image until I had arrived at a composition that included not only the mural itself, but also the objects, words, reflections and street signs. The colours I kept as close to the original as possible, but for dramatic effect I slightly increased the intensity. I enjoyed painting the picture and this inspired me to start and complete another painting of the shop from a different angle, as well completing other paintings inspired by my visit to Vienna. As a bonus, the picture was sold at the exhibition and is now in a private collection.”
Find out more about James and his work.

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