If there’s one thing Paige Wallis knows, it’s art.
Not only did she receive her high school education at Etobicoke School of the Arts in Ontario, Canada; but she also went on to attain a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Today, Paige focuses on perfecting a variety of watercolor and acrylic techniques—one look at her online portfolio and you’ll be enraptured by the extreme variation of styles within each medium.
While her watercolor pieces trend toward a traditional style based on realism, her newest acrylic works have a much more modern, pop-art edge.
Recently, Paige completed a 12-piece, acrylic series called Boxed Still Life, which features an array of garden flowers and their respective containers. My personal favorite in the series, The Lost Ones, is shown below.
The first detail that caught my eye in this painting is that each water droplet on the vase appears to be on the brink of slipping over the lip and tumbling to the box’s floor.
And to me, the vase itself is the most concrete object in this piece. The way the light reflects from all its curves and angles brings a full range of complementary blue hues together to create a smooth, slick and solid appearance.
From the flower’s pink reflections on the lip and the side of the vase, to its subtle reflection on the top of the box, Paige does an excellent job of applying just the right amount of realistic perspective and shadowing to make each object come alive. Every component of this acrylic painting effortlessly “play” with one another, meshing to complete the entire scene.
The Ukulele Lesson on the other hand, simply stopped me in my tracks with its richness. There’s a warmth radiating from this father/daughter experience that’s nearly palpable.
You can see the tremendous efforts taken to highlight each crinkle in the father’s shirt and each angle of the pair’s faces and hands. Light pouring from the right side of painting creates beautiful shadowing and contrast, adding additional warmth to the piece.
I also love the soft green background and homemade quilt folded over the ede of the couch. It all demonstrate a gentleness that perfectly matches the moment.
Which brings me to this final, intricate painting.
I can only assume that there will be a glass of peach iced tea waiting for me at the top of these Savannah Stairs. Painted by layering various shades of green and tan over one another, this watercolor demonstrates the height of southern comfort.
Golden sunlight filtering through unseen trees creates a uniform soft tranquility throughout the piece, and no detail goes unnoticed through Paige’s use of delicate brush strokes.
The dark bushes to the left of the painting, as well as the winding staircase draw my eye slowly upward until I settle on the highlighted shadows adorning the walls of the house. I have no doubt that there is a hammock nestled somewhere out of sight, strung between the same majestic trees whose leaves are bathing this staircase in such playful, dappled light.
Be sure to check out Paige’s official website, which features all of her different still life, narrative and watercolor works, and also expands to include portraits, figurative studies, landscapes, and design.
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