Bev Jozwiak: Putting Miles on the Brush

Behind the Curtain by Bev Jozwiak, 2019, Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

The style Bev Jozwiak is currently working in seems to be the direct result of her own personal journey. Art has been in her life for as long as she can remember. She is the first formally trained artist in her family, but by no means the first artist. Her great aunts, grandmother, aunt and father all painted before her. She graduated with honor from Western Washington University, with a Fine Arts degree and an Art History minor.

Whether painting in Acrylic or watercolor the goal is the same; to create an impressionistic painting with rich varied color, good design, great values, and to create a piece that will last by using archival materials. She never wants the viewer to think her paintings look like photographs, but rather to see the brushwork, and the love and energy that goes into each and every piece.

Jozwiak’s skill as a painter has garnered her national acclaim as one of America’s premier painters. The result of hard work and years of painting has not gone unrewarded. Bev has had a plethora of successful one woman shows for prestigious galleries. She has lost count of how many articles in major art magazines she has had. She is the author of “Painting Life with Life, a 164 page watercolor book, and has her signature status in every major watercolor society, including the American Watercolor Society in New York. Bev believes in keeping original art affordable and accessible to everyone. She does not foresee a time when she would ever quit painting, or become complacent with what she does. She hopes to always study, grow, and continue on this personal artistic journey.

A Hippie Kind of Vibe by Bev Jozwiak on Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

What paper do you use for your work? what do you like about this paper?

Stonehenge Aqua 140lb. Hotpress is my go to paper. And Occasionally 280 lb. too, which has just a bit more tooth. I have had problems with the sizing on other papers, getting batches that were “pilly” and really hard to paint on. I have not had one bad batch with Stonehenge. It is the just the right amount of slickness.

Why do you choose to work on Hotpress paper instead of coldpress or rough?

Unlike some watercolor painters who paint in thin layers building up to their finished pieces, I use a very direct method of painting. Hotpress is made for this, as the paint lays more on the surface, than with cold or rough papers. It is also very easy to lift out areas of paint, either with a brush for a light touch, or with a magic eraser to really get back to the white of the paper.

What other materials do you use for your paintings?

Palette: Alvin Heritage Palette or John Pike Palette

Paints: (Cheap Joes Art supply is where I get most of my supplies) Online.

Winsor and Newton (unless noted)

• Yellow Ochre

• Burnt Sienna

• Sap Green (Holbein)

• French Ultra Marine Blue (I have been using Daniel Smith lately, but either work)

• Cobalt Blue

• Manganese Blue Hue

• Permanent Alizarin Crimson

• Rose Madder Genuine (or Permanent Rose)

• Cadmium Red (or Joes Red from Cheap Joes)

• Cadmium Orange

• Winsor Blue (Red Shade)

  • Winsor Green (Blue Shade).

  • New Gamboge or Joe’s Yellow (Cheap Joe’s American Journey)

  • Janet Rose Violet (Cheap Joe’s American Journey)

  • Aureolin

• Naples Yellow

• Yellow Gray (Holbein)

• Verditer (Holbein)

• Don Andrews Turquois

Brushes: Cheap Joes Golden Fleece 

• #10 round

• 1” Flat

• #4 round for details

·        *I also use the legend or the dream catcher (from Cheap Joes) when I need a brush that holds a more water. #8 round  is my favorite.

·        Kolinsky DaVinci Maestro #12 (A very good mop brush)

As if on Wings by Bev Jozwiak, 2019, Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

What is your process like from start to finish?

I am a very fast and direct painter; as a matter of fact I am almost done with my second book, which is called, “Confident brushstrokes”.  While I do have some work that is more layered and “traditional”, my own favorites are the ones with bold confident, purposeful brushstrokes.

Do you have a favorite piece? Why is this your favorite?

It is hard to choose one piece to be a favorite. It is usually a recent piece, and then in a year, I don’t like it at all. I am always growing in my art, and don’t ever want to paint on rote, or get in a rut of painting the exact same thing. I like my crow/raven pieces simply because I love to paint blacks. I add a plethora of colors next to each other, and yet manage to have it still read as the color black.

My ballet pieces are also some of my favorites. My youngest daughter was a professional ballet dancer. I grew to love ballet and all the rituals involved in that art form.

At this very moment my favorite piece is called “Stand Tall”. I was very happy with all the colors in this man’s face. I really wasn’t expecting the painting to turn out, as I was just experimenting with throwing rubbing alcohol at my paper as I was painting. The texture it created was unexpected, and really gave this piece a unique look that I was very pleased with in the end. 

Stand Tall by Bev Jozwiak, 2019, Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

Ballet Profiles by Bev Jozwiak, 2018, Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

Anything else you’d like to add?

If I could choose to be anything in the world, I would not make another choice. I love to paint. Being an artist is not what I do, it is who I am. Getting to create a thing of beauty, and show the world what I see through my eyes, has been a gift that I am beyond grateful for.

If you have always wanted to be able to paint, what are you waiting for? Start on your journey today. Every day adds a layer of knowledge, brick by brick honing your craft, until you have the skills to say what you want to say. It all starts and ends by putting “miles on the brush”.

Wired by Bev Jozwiak, 2020, Stonehenge Aqua Hotpress 140lb

Lightfast Black Surface: Stonehenge Aqua Black Paper

Written by Clare McNamara on Jackson’s Art Blog

The newest addition of Legion’s watercolor papers: Stonehenge Aqua Black. This 100% cotton paper, produced in 300 gsm, is a hard-wearing watercolour surface. Cold-pressed, with a medium-rough surface texture, the paper is the same quality on each side and is acid, chlorine, OBA (Optical Brightening Agent) and lignin free. This is an archivally sound watercolour paper that provides a mirror world of possibilities when painting light and shadow using water-based materials.

Because it is a dense, cotton paper, with a fairly hard size, Stonehenge Aqua Black has an exceptionally short bleed that allows for superb control of almost every water-based medium, whether applied directly or diluted in a wash. When painting on a black surface, the surface itself will most likely be the darkest tonal value of your image, so you need to work in reverse to achieve a depth of tone—drawing out areas of light and building up layers from the dark. Due to the restrained bleed of Stonehenge Aqua Black and the blending control this allows, tonal values can be obtained by layering varying dilutions of paint, without them bleeding into one another.

Stonehenge Aqua Black comes as a pad or sheets rather than as a pre-stretched block. While it claims to be buckle-resistant, it is prone to very slight warping with the addition of water, when using gouache, watercolour paint, and watercolour pencil. That being said, it eventually dries to a relatively flat state, similar to that of other 300 gsm watercolour papers. Therefore, you may still want to stretch your paper before you begin painting. Samples that were left in water overnight remained black and were able to withstand scrubbing without wearing away. It would take excessive scrubbing for this paper to deteriorate.

As it has a medium-rough texture and hard size, the paper has the right level of absorbency for wet media as it can take washes while keeping pigment on the surface. This feature is very important with black paper, as it can often absorb lighter colours so much that they disappear. We found the paper’s absorbency was suitable across the variety of mediums we tested.

Jackson’s Studio Acrylic – Silver 972

This was one of the most satisfying mediums to apply. Because it was so easy to control, I was able to build up several layers of paint and produce a wide range of tonal values, by diluting with plenty of water. I noticed a small amount of buckling in the paper while I was working, but this flattened out once it dried. The vibrancy of the silver colour remained bright and reflective both wet and dry.

Jackson’s Studio Acrylic – Silver 972

Finetec Coliro: Mica Watercolour Paint – Moon Gold and Tibet Gold from the Vintage Pearlcolours Collection

With the addition of a little water, these paints burst to life, sparkling in pools in the valleyed grooves of the pan. While they are a little less easy to control than the acrylic or gouache, they handled well on the paper and had an exceptional amount of lift. Many layers could be applied without damaging the paper, though I found it had warped slightly upon drying. Stonehenge Aqua Black seems made for metallic watercolours of this kind—the bright sheen of the paint remains just as strong when dry, and is further accentuated by the matt black of the paper, which appears even darker by contrast.

Finetec Coliro: Mica Watercolour Paint – Moon Gold and Tibet Gold from the Vintage Pearlcolours Collection

Winsor & Newton Designer Gouache – Silver

This was another excellent medium to work with on Stonehenge Aqua Black as it was easy to control and with an equally metallic luminescence to the acrylic. The gouache, when built up in dense layers, resembled hammered silver on the texture of the paper, or applied sparingly as a wash, appeared like distant stars. Once dried, it could be almost completely lifted from the paper and there was no sign of warping or buckling whatsoever.

Winsor & Newton Designer Gouache – Silver

Jackson’s Artist Watercolour – Chinese White 471

Applying watercolour paint thickly was the most effective way to avoid it absorbing into the paper too much. On the Stonehenge Aqua Black, the paint dried to a ghostly pale blue rather than a white. Unlike the metallics, the watercolour paint dried unpredictably, with irregular pooling in the texture of the surface and some slight warping in the paper. With the combination of the paper’s dry rough textured finish and the various drying tones, I found the results of the watercolour paint harder to predict, but full of potential for experimentation.

Jackson’s Artist Watercolour – Chinese White 471

Derwent Graphatint Pencil – Cloud Grey 22 and White 24

Applying the watercolour pencils with a light pressure prevented them from rubbing the texture of the paper flat, so it retained it’s shape, texture and absorption qualities. The pigment remained visible when wet and absorbed with a lot of coverage into the paper. Once dried to a matt finish, it was harder to lift back to the original black tones of the paper, without leaving grey smoky patches.

Derwent Graphatint Pencil – Cloud Grey 22 and White 24

Uni Posca Marker Pen – Silver 26 (bullet shaped 0.7 mm) and White 1 – (pin type 0.7 mm)

Using these pens on black watercolour paper felt definitive, as it was harder to conceal your marks and impossible to lift them back off the paper with water. The ink sat on the surface and lines remained sharp and clear, without bleed. Occasionally and unpredictably, the friction between the semi-rough texture of the paper and the plastic pen tip caused the nib to scratch, splatter, and spit out ink.

Uni Posca Marker Pen – Silver 26 (bullet shaped 0.7 mm)

Testing Stonehenge Aqua Black on YouTube.

Shop Stonehenge Aqua Black at Jackson’s.

Learn More about Stonehenge Aqua.

Wendy Hollender Reviews Stonehenge Aqua

The Most In-depth Review on Stonehenge Aqua you will ever see.