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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025
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Why Tackling Hard Subjects Can Take Your Art Further |
By Kelly Kane
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“Heavy Metal” (watercolor on paper, 30 x 22 in.) by Tracy Love
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In Cobham, Surrey, tucked within the 18th-century Georgian landscape garden of Painshill Park, stands a remarkable 19th-century waterwheel. Built around 1835, it once pumped water from the River Mole into the Serpentine Lake. For one artist, however, the appeal of the waterwheel went beyond its function—its gears, shafts, and heavy industrial presence became the inspiration for a painting that blends history with light and atmosphere.
“Heavy Metal” by Tracy Love won the Best Building award in the June PleinAir Salon.
“For me, the main attractions of this waterwheel are the complicated gears, mechanisms, and heavy industrial demeanor,” says Tracy Love. “I also loved how the soft winter morning light behaved with the window, acting almost like a prism to enhance the cooler pinks and purples, while casting shadows across the mechanical shaft. I wanted the viewer to feel as though they were standing with me, looking through the hazy window and catching a glimpse of the Serpentine Lake beyond.”
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“Under M25” (watercolor on paper, 28 1/2 x 36 1/2 in.) by Tracy Love
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TACKLING THE CHALLENGES
The most daunting part of the painting was the window itself — with its haze, cobwebs, and delicate reflections. The artist saved that section for last, working methodically around the piece in a clockwise manner until they could figure out how to capture its layered complexity.
“To look realistic, the scene needed depth,” she explains. “I had to build from the scrubby branches and waterwheel close to the window, to the hint of the lake and trees further away, while still maintaining the reflected light in key areas.”
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“Urban Relief” (watercolor on paper, 28 1/2 x 36 1/2 in.) by Tracy Love
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The painting took years in the making. Multiple visits to the site at different times of day and across the seasons allowed the artist to gather the right references, ultimately combining several images into a final composite. It also took just as long to muster the courage to take on such a technically challenging subject.
Determined to test their skills, Love avoided masking tape and minimized the use of masking fluid. Instead, they relied on steady brushwork against straightedges and delicate lifting techniques to maintain clean lines. Colors were built through transparent layering rather than premixing — permanent alizarin crimson and viridian, for example, creating a luminous gunmetal gray.
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“Cascade” (watercolor on paper, 28 x 35 in.) by Tracy Love
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ADVICE FOR FELLOW ARTISTS
Alongside her technical insights, the artist offers encouragement for others pursuing ambitious paintings or considering entering competitions:
“Just do it. If you don’t enter, you’ll never get selected. And if you do, you have an opportunity. Don’t be discouraged if your painting isn’t chosen. I’ve been rejected so many times, but I keep painting and entering competitions and exhibitions. Each time, I raise my game, and eventually I get closer to exactly where I want to be.”
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