By Sue Wild

Brian Baxter has taken a serious approach to watercolour for only the last 10 years, but he produces paintings that impress. That is not surprising. He has been a professional artist for 48 years. In fact, Brian dabbled in watercolour intermittently over the years but always found it challenging. The bills needed to be paid, which meant selling paintings. He knew that could be done easily enough using his normal media, so he stuck with oils and acrylics. Why the change in direction? We trace Brians story:

Brian became a window-dresser in a department store when he left school, then moved into sign-writing. At a young age he was influenced by a local artist, Aston Greathead. Aston was a wonderful old man, an accomplished watercolourist and winner of the Kelliher Watercolour Award in 1966. Brian launched into the art world and in 1973 became a full-time artist. Thats the year that I wrote Artist as my occupation on my tax return. Im still awed by the idea that I am An Artist. In 1977, he won first prize in the Kelliher Art Award for Landscape. This gave a huge boost to his confidence and brought him public acknowledgement. Over the years he has exhibited around New Zealand, in Adelaide and Washington DC.

In recent years the need to sell was not so pressing. At last Brian had the opportunity to follow a long-time yen to experiment with watercolour. At last Brian had the opportunity to follow a long-time yen to experiment with watercolour.

Watercolour has a spontaneity, a freedom and its a disobedient, unpredictable medium. At first I found it challenging to unlearn oil painting techniques, to give up some control and let watercolour talk. Now I appreciate the fresh looseness and find accidents can be appealing. I have a drawer full of failures, but sometimes watercolour will create a brilliant passage that you couldnt contrive to paint yourself. One thing is for sure, it won't be bullied!

Brian says a fellow artist gave him 100 tips for wannabe artists and among are the following important ones:
To learn to paint, paint; every day. Develop this as a habit because habit is stronger than will.
Develop a sense of humour about yourself and dont be crushed by failure. The only failure is failure to risk failure. Every failure hides a lesson. Give yourself permission to fail then fight like hell to succeed.
Dont envy others success. Praise generously and share your knowledge. The only person you have to improve on is yourself.

Dont state, indicate. Dont try to explain everything. Let the viewers imagination help complete the picture.

Practise drawing at every opportunity. It is the basis of good art. In spite of what you may have heard, accuracy is not a dirty word.

Listen to what the watercolour is telling you, and where it wants to go. It will largely paint itself if you let it.

Never say die until it is dry. Never, never give up.

Artists whose workshops Brian has attended include Melbourne painters Joseph Zbukvic, Alvaro Castagnet, Greg Allen and Ross Paterson.

Brian admires all of these artists greatly, but also many of the excellent local artists whose work has appeared and will continue to appear in our own Splash exhibition.

Brian says, That is why being invited as Splash Guest Artist rates as the biggest and most humbling challenge of my whole career. I hope I can come near to following in the footsteps of previous guest artists.