Laura Bethmann

I'm a watercolor painter who gardens, prints plants and writes books

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Watercolor Paintings:
Manifestations of Life

Nature is a continuum of movement, energy, space, light, growth and decay. Nature is all life around us, and is us. I embrace Van Gogh's advice to listen to the language of Nature, and Rilke's guidance to trust in Nature. The larger-than-life focus of these paintings are flowers. Flowers, as universal symbols of beauty, captivate us with their colorful, tender forms, sweet fragrance and ability to create new life.

After choosing my subject I prepare a detailed drawing from both live plants and photographic references that I take in my own garden or other gardens. I follow traditional watercolor techniques by applying many layers of fluid paint. As the painting evolves, it undergoes changes as if, in a way, it grows and lives of itself.