ArtReach Gallery Presents
OCTO RENAISSANCE
LINDA FERRAR
WATERCOLORS
FEBRUARY 4 - MARCH 29, 2026
Artist Statement
I decided to call this exhibition, “Octo-Renaissance” because I experienced a “rebirth” as an artist at age 80 after not painting for at least 50 years! And I paint with watercolor using a Renaissance technique that I learned as an oil painter.
Background
In my youth, I was an artist of every stripe—dancer, singer, musician, actress. After high school graduation, I attended a special “Art Camp” for gifted students at Kansas University where I studied with some of the best art teachers in the country. I took everything on offer EXCEPT watercolor, which I was never drawn to. I loved painting with oils on large canvases and one of my teachers, who studied in Italy every year, taught me to paint in the style of the Old Masters–building up the canvas with thin layers of color, turpentine and linseed oil—much like the painters of the Renaissance. I have a BS and an MA degree with a minor in Fine Art. I taught art to high school students and did some commercial artwork before abandoning my artist’s identity in favor of a very different career.
Process
So at 80, retired and living in a small apartment, I decided to try painting again. As oil painting was no longer practical, watercolor seemed the only reasonable choice—but I was very bad at it. After numerous attempts and much frustration, I began watching master watercolor painters on YouTube. They were all different, often contradictory, and had their own unique advice, approaches and style. Learning from them, watching and experimenting, I gradually got better—and I don’t paint like any of them!
Technique
Most artists would agree that watercolor is far more difficult than any other medium. It’s not as forgiving of mistakes, and every time brush touches paper there is an element of exciting risk. Watercolor has a mind of its own, every pigment has its own characteristics and behavior. One must learn to manage the flow of pigment and water to achieve what is desired, but the results can be magical—and in my experience, much more varied and exciting than any other medium. If I damage a painting seemingly beyond rescue, I take it and try new experiments on it—I pull out all the stops—and sometimes I can rescue it with an unexpected surprise. I paint what I want to paint the way I want to paint it! Every new project presents a new challenge and I’m not concerned with creating a distinctive style or subject matter, I’m just loving whatever challenge comes next. I use water instead of turpentine, building more transparent layers and more and more detail to achieve the right balance of saturation and hue. Enjoy!
