A Demonstration in Watercolors by David Savellano

​The Rossmoor Art Association would like you to meet David Savellano, a California watercolor artist who loves to work plein-air. He will be the featured artist at the RAA March meeting. The demonstration is on Wednesday, March 6 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in Art Studio One. Doors open at 12:30, and the program begins at 1:00. There will be a 20-minute break at 2:00 with refreshments and an opportunity to talk with the artist.

As a practicing architect for over 38 years, David brings drawing skills and a strong sense of perspective, combined with a looseness and spontaneity that infuses his watercolors with inner light and color.

Savellano creates watercolor paintings that capture random moments – on the street, in nature, and wherever else his portable easel takes him, he says. Painting outdoors, especially in the urban settings he favors, requires adaptability and speed. Usually the elements are a factor, like the changing light (or more dramatically, the onset of a thunderstorm), and the most alluring subjects/scenarios are often fleeting or temporary at best.

The challenges involved in painting outside are essential to what makes this peculiar art form so vital, and a big part of Savellano’s efforts to create the feeling and energy of spontaneous work. “When you paint outdoors, you’re completely immersed in the scene—the atmosphere, the mood,” says David. “You’re just soaking it in, feeling the subject—empathy—and actually capturing its essence. When I look at one of my paintings, I feel the energy of that place or scene like I was there yesterday. Ultimately, that’s the feeling I’m trying to induce in others who see my work.”

David lives in the Bay Area and is a native Californian, which is reflected in the sun-dappled streets and waterfront imagery that dominate his work. Although largely self-taught as a watercolor painter, he credits his 30 years as a practicing architect with having given him the drawing skills and strong sense of perspective that have elevated his artwork to a professional level.  He has exhibited and taught both locally and internationally.

For more on David, visit his website: http://www.davidsavellano.com