A universe of water colors flows
from the paint brushes of Wendy Artin –
beautiful and true – depicting oceanic greens and blues
and Sienna brown, red, and umber earthen hues.

Depictions close to home and hand:
views of objects quotidian,
familiar things, sometimes overshadowed by the epochal
of Roman ruins and classical museum statues.

The watery colors embody Heraclitus’ pre-Socratic epigram:
all things flow. Lush water colors saturate
the fibers of expectant cotton paper.
The artist’s pigments convey core images and their shadows.

The single brown stems of flora,
the yellow-green of pears, the greens
of ripe vegetables, the reds of onions,
luscious pomegranates, and quivering trees and their leaves,

awaken visual and sensate appetites.
Twigs and small branches spotted with tiny blossoms,
and brightly colored berries and petals,
enrich the core of our existence.

How wondrous their two-dimensional presence!
How penetrating the artist’s gaze and painterly confidence!
How appreciative of objects, organic and chiseled stone material!
How pellucid the quality of these images!

Pools and streams of liquid water colors, limpid
and crystal clear, convey a rich translucency.
O! The subtleties of water color flows!
Even an image of a pencil’s shadow glows.

Francis Morrissey
November 2021