It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe the same is true for artwork. A great piece of artwork can ignite various impressions and emotions within each new viewer—and that’s exactly what watercolorist Kerim Kahyagil wants do do in his paintings.
By not tying himself down to recreating a place or time exactly, Kerim leaves room for imagination and inspiration. Of course, he knows he must also give the reigns to his medium from time to time.
Kerim says, quite humbly, “Watercolor is a difficult medium to control. It does unexpected things. I try to control this behavior only to an extent and let watercolor add its own surprises. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t.”
What caught my attention right off the bat with Dubrovnik Café is the clarity of the sunlight cascading down into the lively street. The painting possesses a natural brightness that makes me want to put on my shades to escape the sun’s glare. . . I’ve never seen the sun’s rays depicted so realistically with watercolor before!
The brightness of the painting paired with the bustling street and swarms of people eating together at the cafe instill a warm, pleasant feeling within me. Just like Sunday brunch, Kerim effortlessly captured this happy-go-lucky, laid back gathering.
Watch the Wave, seen below, is, of course, is a lot less laid back. . . with the tilted angles of the boat, and the frantically working men, I half expected the sailboat to come hurtling through the painting toward me!
This action-packed scene uses the frothy, stirred-up waves to great effect, creating a nice frame of white space which contrasts well with the busy-ness of the sailors. It also makes for a very unique work of art!
Lastly, Paris Cafes 1 is a much more abstract, impressionistic painting than either of the first two, yet in its ambiguity it manages to capture the dream-like sensation one might feel walking the romantic streets of Paris.
Because the painting is not particularly detailed, I can easily create my own vision Paris at night, expanding upon the painting in my mind and imagining even more excitement around the corner of the café.
For more of Kerim’s energizing sailboat paintings and elegant landscapes, set aside some time to visit his website. You won’t regret it!