Chris Sutherland: Watercolor

Some of my earliest memories of art in my life consist of painting smooth rocks that Dad and I collected from a Michigan lake, creating miniature oil paintings (which I still have!) and even building a cardboard doll house complete with upholstered cardboard doll furniture for my younger cousin. Doll making, fabric arts, furniture painting....I have always been involved in creative and artistic pursuits. But when my daughter graduated from high school, she encouraged me to follow my dream, and take formal art classes in earnest. I have always loved watercolors, and once I took that first watercolor class, there was no turning back!

Watermedia best expresses my view of the world: unpredictable, beautiful, colorful and yes, even whimsical. Sometimes I add some wild and loose pen and ink to the mix. My "style" is best described as contemporary and imaginative. Recently, I started painting abstract works as well. This has been an exciting journey.

I just moved from Virginia Beach back to my home state, North Carolina. I am a graduate of East Carolina University, and I have pursued art education at The ArtsCenter (Carrboro, NC), Durham Arts Council, and Duke University. I have studied with both nationally and internationally recognized artists including Carole Barnes and Linda Kemp. And I am grateful to the best watercolor teacher ever, Luna Lee Ray, of Chapel Hill.

I am a founding member of Art Reach NC, an exhibiting artist at The Artists Gallery in Virginia Beach (www.theartistsgallery.org), a member of the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina, and a former Managing Artist of Pembroke 4 Art Gallery in Virginia Beach. My work can be found in various galleries in the Southeast, at juried art shows, and gallery exhibitions.