Pastels and Watercolors: Art by Kathleen Contri
Three Spruce Trees, watercolor
Based in northern Illinois, Kathleen Contri is an artist who specializes in work with pastels and watercolors. Kathleen’s subjects range from portraits of friends and family, to florals and dreamlike scenes.
The Nippersink Creek, watercolor
Kathleen’s watercolors and in particular her floral watercolors, are reminiscent of those by Jane Crosby – though rather than painting a single bloom on a neutral background, Kathleen tends toward painting entire scenes, creating tight, illustrative images that showcase a genuine skill with the medium. I like the way that Kathleen combines hard, firm line art with misty, washed-out colors, utilizing the full range of the medium’s capabilities.
I’m enjoying looking through Kathleen’s pastel gallery, as well. Here the subject matter is slightly more varied and occasionally veers into the surreal, which lends itself well to the looser, sketched style that the artist employs. Kathleen also produces greeting cards with her artworks on them, available through her website.
