Yan Cowles

As a committed plein air painter, I’m on a constant journey of development in my efforts to express through watercolour those passing moments of light interacting with form that somehow transcend the simple medium of pigment on paper.


On the occasions this happens (and there’s many times it doesn’t), it can feel like alchemy and you surprise even yourself which is a great joy.


I love painting on location, especially in forests where you can often become totally alone and which somehow deepens the connection to your environment perhaps due to being enclosed under a canopy as well as surrounded by trees.
It’s hard to explain really but I find it a wonderfully nurturing experience and wish more people were equipped to do the same.



I'm also not averse to working in my studio and I endeavour to bring a unique perspective and passion for capturing the essence of my surroundings.


I use tube watercolours and white gouache with a good sized flat brush on mixed media 300gsm board. I draw in the sketch and then lay down an initial wash as underpainting which I then work over layering up with a more dry brush technique which I can get from using tube watercolour. The downside to this method is that you can’t overwork each layer of pai...

HND Graphic Communications
York College of Art and Technology / York / England / 1984 - 1986