Maureen Henson-Brunke Works

I have always wondered why the phrase, “Like watching paint dry,” has such negative connotations.  Through the use of watercolors I have come to love watching paint and water dry. The life in water and pigment fascinates me, whether I am witnessing the depth and intensity of a color change as the water evaporates, or seeing multiple colors swimming towards each other to mix, merge and create new colors.  And then there are the wonderful and terrifying back runs of paint, blooms, and uncontrolled drips that remind me there are few things in life you can control, but with patience, balance and by taking risks you can often find the beauty that exists in the world.

My formal education in visual art started when I took a few electives to complete my B.A. in English Literature at the University of Hawaii and the University of Arizona in the 1980s.  In the years that followed, I sporadically experimented with portrait drawing and watercolor painting. I attended my first watercolor class, taught by Tucson artist and teacher, Brenda Semanick, in 1999.  After that class, I knew watercolor was the medium for me.  However, due to life circumstances, work and family commitments, I continued painting sporadically and never dared to call myself an artist.

All of that changed in 2018 when I discovered the Southern Arizona Watercolor Society (SAWG).  Knowing it was time to take my love of watercolor and my dream of a daily life involving art seriously, I began attending workshops hosted by SAWG and other organizations and artists.  I gravitate towards expressive watercolor portraits, but my work also includes still life, landscape, and abstract paintings.