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| O-105 Black-Oyster-Catcher by Stephen Testa wc 9x12 $450 |
Stephen Testa is a geologist
whose interests are in painting landscapes of geological interest, black and
white images of iconic geological figures and landscapes from the great surveys
of the 19th Century, and wildlife (including domestic pets). For Stephen,
the media of choice is watercolor and the transformation from an historic dark
black and white photo to watercolor brings out a fresh perspective on such
iconic individuals and images.
Stephen's other
interests are in the painting of portraits of dogs and wildlife, notably birds.
His initial inspiration for watercolors began in the early 1980s when he
was working in the North Cascades. It was there that he met Dr. Peter
Misch, a famed pioneering geologist of the North Cascades and professor at the University
of Washington. Dr. Misch was also an accomplished mountain climber and
during his many geological excursions would take his watercolor set with him as
he explored the Cascades.
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| O-107 Half Dome from Glacier Point by Stephen Testa wc 9x11 $350 |
It was at his home where Peter showed Stephen
his watercolors and encouraged him to pick up the brush along with a rock
hammer. Some of Stephen's earliest paintings were displayed at The Prince
and Pauper Gallery in Seattle. During this time, he also became a member
of the Northwest Watercolor Society.
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| O-106 Summer Day at Mono Lake by Stephen Testa wc 10x12 $300 |
After a hiatus from painting in the
late 1980s until 2017, Stephen resumed his desire to paint in watercolor.
Stephen is self-taught, and has developed his style from books on
technique, observation of other artists' works, especially that of John Hunt
and Robert Bateman, and workshops, albeit his geologic training is an advantage
in sketching and 3-D visualization. He prefers watercolor for the
spontaneity and many challenges this media presents. He varies his work
by using a minimal palette and multi-layering and glazing to achieve his
desired effect.
Stephen lives in Mokelumne Hill and is a member of the
California Watercolor Association and Mother Lode Art Association.
