In watercolor, I work exclusively with transparent pigments, carefully building textural effects through multiple glazes (sometimes up to five or six layers) to achieve dimension and detail in my realistic watercolors. I will use masking fluid to preserve my whites and lightest lights where small details are concerned. I start with the wettest, softest focus areas and create large sweeping washes, sometimes allowing the hues to blend together on the surface. Once dry, I may re-wet an area with clean water to introduce smaller wet-into-wet colors to specific shapes that require a blended application. I will continue in this way, allowing layers to dry until finally I am at the phase where I am exclusively working on dry paper with my smallest darkest details (fine controlled lines or more spontaneous applications like speckling or dry brush).
Crystal Beshara in her studio.
I’m attracted to light and mood, but strive to paint more than just a “pretty” painting. I want to touch the heart, awaken a bit of nostalgia in my viewer and moreover, illuminate subjects that sometimes can easily be overlooked-to transform the mundane into something beguiling, be it a dilapidated old barn or a cow quietly grazing on a cool summer evening.
Enchanted, watercolor on 140lb archival cotton paper, 18 x 18” (45 x 45 cm) I wanted to capture the effervescence of the lilacs clusters and, of course, the radiant light coming through the green glass. I liked how the smooth defined shapes in the vase juxtaposed against the softness of the blooms. Those first cuts of spring are a welcomed sight after six months of snow.
My rural upbringing greatly influences my lens on the world. I use my artwork as an outlet for contemplative exploration of deeper concepts reflecting on how we, as humans, relate to an ever-changing landscape and environment. Painting rural subject matter for me is a cathartic and documentative means to record a way of life that is slowly disappearing. It serves as a history of the homesteads, the people, animals and agriculture of our land.
Heart of Gold, watercolor on 140lb archival cotton paper, 14 x 18” (35 x 45 cm) This is a portrait of our gentle 14-year-old beagle, Mylo. I wanted to capture his alertness and his ever curious, energetic eyes, while showing his age and a weighty restfulness to his body. And of course, those magnificent velvet ears. I love the way he has both a relaxed and alert gaze as he basks in the sunlight. His deep amber eyes soften with age, and his fur is now frosted with white hairs.
I also frequently work in oils. With this medium, I feel more liberated to push, scrape and play with the expressive physicality of the medium, exploring the tension between the opacity and translucency of color. I typically work on canvas, but lately have really been enjoying the rigidity and feel of textured wood panel. —
About the artist
Crystal BesharaCrystal Beshara was born in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in 1975. She holds a BFA in studio art and a diploma in botanical art from the Society of Botanical Artists in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Artists in Canada, Artists Who Teach and the American Watercolor Society. She is an award-winning artist working in both oil and watercolor. Beshara has exhibited internationally, winning numerous awards in both mediums.
Her subject matter is diverse, ranging from farmscapes to seascapes and florals to wildlife. Beshara’s art is a collision of two worlds, realism and expressionism, and reflects her rural roots growing up on a small hobby farm. She is also a regularly invited juror and educator and offers painting workshops across the world. Artists can learn from Beshara remotely through her online video tutorials and popular YouTube channel. She is represented by Wall Space Gallery in Ontario, Canada.