Caroline Saunders talks to Mark Entwisle, winner of The Artist Award in the annual RWS exhibition, about his unfinished but not incomplete watercolours
‘This is a portrait of Natalie Portman from the wonderful film Léon. I particularly like to paint faces and often paint people who have had an impact on my life; actors, musicians, etc. It is painted from a colour photograph on Arches hot-pressed paper using a fairly basic palette of lemon yellow, yellow ochre, vermilion, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and ultramarine.’
The Artist Award winner in the 2023 Royal Watercolour Society open exhibition, Mark Entwisle prides himself on the ‘less is more’ approach. ‘At the start there is too much information. It’s a process of editing and distilling. Photographs may have too much clutter or noise. Sometimes I’ll want to alter the atmosphere, darken the sky a bit or reduce the tonal contrast. I quite like stillness and not much drama or narrative.
‘When I was seven, the headmaster of my school held up a painting I’d done and told everyone in the school how good he thought it was. This was the first time I remember anyone saying I was good at anything and changed the course of my life. My dad could draw but was very against me going to art school or becoming an artist. He was probably worried I’d never make a living at it. I found out recently that my great aunt, Olive F. Openshaw had illustrated a hundred Enid Blyton books and my great uncle had been a Royal Academician, so art does run in the family. It was a lovely surprise.’
Mark’s work developed most rapidly during his foundation course where he produced art every day and was constantly pushed and challenged. Initially he w as inspired by American watercolourists such as Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and John Singer Sargent. He had discovered Peter Blake and David Hockney’s work whilst still at school. Later, Kenneth Rowntree, Eric Ravilious, Maurice Prendergast, Fairfield Porter and Charles Rennie Mackintosh came onto his spectrum. More recently, Humphrey Ocean, David Remfry and Elizabeth Blackadder have provided great inspiration. ‘It’s hard to single out a favourite painting, but ever since I can remember I’ve admired a watercolour called Liberty Blake in a Kimono by Peter Blake.
‘I think it’s important to be honest with yourself and work hard and gradually your particular style or voice will develop. If your work is genuinely interesting to you, it will hop efully capture and connec
