“PALM TREE AND SHADOW” (11 x 14 in.)

Anyone who has been to the tropics can connect to this image. Palm trees, white sand and aqua-marine blue colored water are universal tropical motifs. This scene is from an island off the coast of the Yucatan in Mexico…it is called Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) Tropical light can be very intense. Even in the shade there is ample illumination. What I wanted show was this light as it hit the palm tree from underneath. The dappled lighting coming through the branches of the palm displays a chaotic pattern on the sand below as well as on the trunk. In contrast to this jumble of light and dark at the bottom, there is the horizon and the linear qualities of the various blues/greens of the water. These work well together. The palm fronds have a tendency to take the viewer out of the picture. So that is why at the sides, I have added small fronds coming back in …to help direct your eye and keep you in the painting.

Robin Vander Hamm

I specialize in watercolors that are inspired by my world travels. My subject matter ranges from South American landscapes to the flora of California. The use of bright colors, original designs and exotic settings are components I bring to my paintings. The incredible range of transparent watercolor allows me to capture the fragile beauty of a single flower or the somber mood of a gray day. For me, an artist is only limited by their imagination and technical skill. The elements of control and spontaneity make it a challenging endeavor. The thought of ever mastering the medium becomes more and more elusive and perhaps a goal never to be fully achieved.

I find the process of creating watercolors very satisfying and it also provides many side benefits…the greatest of these is the ability to see beauty everywhere.

So please wander through these images. There is some text beneath each. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them.