"Mirror of the Soul", Australian Landscape Watercolor by Robert Wade

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Mirror of the soul, where water and sky blend in a silent dance for this Australian landscape, dated the year … Read more Mirror of the soul, where water and sky blend in a silent dance for this Australian landscape, dated the year '64, and signed by the artist Robert Wade.

The composition centers on a lake, edged by the silhouettes of trees and thickets, stretching beneath a sky laden with clouds in shades of gray and white, hinting at a twilight or dawn suspended in time. The horizon line rises subtly. The sky’s reflection in the water serves as an echo, amplified by fluid brushstrokes, a hallmark of watercolor. This technique, allowing the paper’s grain to shine through, lends an airy, almost ethereal texture. Deep blacks contrast sharply with soft blues and pale grays, carving sparse branches like exclamation marks that might evoke the solitude of a world apart. Each dark stroke seems to bear the weight of an ancient memory.

Through its transparency and swift execution, watercolor conveys the painter’s emotion facing a nature that hovers between repose and murmur. Unlike oil, which weighs down the material, watercolor offers a delicate suggestion, leaving the eye to fill in the gaps. This medium roots the work in a lineage reminiscent of English Romantic landscapists, such as John Sell Cotman, while flirting with the boldness of the 20th century, where watercolor broke free to explore introspective and abstract realms.

B I O
Robert Albert William Wade (29 July 1930 – 30 January 2024) was an Australian artist and a legend in watercolor, often dubbed Australia’s Unofficial Ambassador of Watercolor. Wade was introduced to the medium at six by his artist father and was largely self-taught. With his singular ability to capture the essence of landscapes and emotions, he became a revered figure among artists and art enthusiasts. His works illuminate the Australian landscape's beauty while showcasing watercolor's full potential. The author of several books, including Robert Wade's Watercolor Workshop Handbook and Painting More Than the Eye Can See, shared his expertise through lectures on the heritage of Australian watercolor delivered to art societies worldwide. Wade described his approach as “perceptive observation,” a fusion of mind, eyes, and heart to translate his emotions through light, form, and movement. He died in Malvern, Melbourne, on 30 January 2024, at 93, leaving behind an inspiring artistic legacy. See less