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Lynn Artz

Anyone who has seen a watercolor painting before can recognize that it is one of the most abstract mediums out there. Adding too much water to the paint causes a runny mess, and not adding enough water makes the paint unusable. Watercolor artist Lynn Artz is able to balance the fine line between watery and unworkable paint to create beautifully detailed portraits and landscapes.

When not traveling or perfecting her watercolor paintings, Artz works as a graphic artist, specializing in catalog and flyer layout. Although not a full-time artist, Artz has been painting on and off her entire life and is able to devote a good amount of time to her paintings, resulting in a diverse breadth of artwork in her portfolio.

With so many contemporary artists using art as a springboard to address problems, Artz prefers to keep her artwork a statement about herself. She views art as the aesthetically pleasing perspective of the artist, a representation of how artists see everyday life.

“I hope it makes connections,” says Artz. “My art is so much a part of me; I hope that it connects in a positive way to people that inspires them or connects them to a memory. I find art enjoyable, the process is enjoyable. I hope people find looking at my work enjoyable, too.”

A recurring theme seen as part of Artz’s perspective is her emphasis on bright colors. Her love of intense, vivid hues is the leading reason why Artz consciously chooses watercolor over any other medium. After dabbling in oil and acrylic painting, Artz states, “I love the freshness and instant quality of watercolors.” Various synthetic paper used specifically for painting with watercolors also adds an additional brightness factor, an aesthetic neither oil nor acrylics are able to achieve.

Although Artz has lived around Neenah and Appleton her entire life, she has traveled all over the world to places including Italy, Mexico, Greece and various sites around the United States. Traveling is essential to her artwork because all of Artz’s paintings are done in “plein air,” meaning on location. Artz states that this method of work is much easier; this way, she can absorb her surroundings and become a part of her artwork, rather than just observe as a tourist. Her most recent paintings of Mayan women were inspired through her travels to Guatemala about a year ago.

“My artwork is my perspective, and my subject matter is what inspires me and it constantly changes,” Artz shares. “I love to travel, so a lot of what I paint is what I’ve seen while traveling, my interpretation. Like the Mayan women’s bright colors and traditional clothing.”

Some of Artz’s watercolor paintings will be featured in five different art fairs throughout the summer, ranging from the Fox Cities Area to Oshkosh.

—FC