Master Watercolors

Marlies Najaka

Marlies Merk Najaka has been a professional artist for 30 years. Her paintings are included in many corporate, museum and private collections. She is a signature member of AWS and NWS. It is Marlies’ unique and sensitive use of color that makes her art so recognizable. She is able to capture the delicate essences of shadow and light and incorporate them with a forceful underlying composition. Her paintings appear truly illuminated from within. “My work is always as much about what I eliminate in my painting as it is about what I include.” Because of the unique method in which she applies her watercolors, Marlies is able to achieve richly toned and extremely complex glazes of color. Until recently, Marlies’ work had been almost impossible to duplicate using conventional printing techniques. “With the advent of Iris/Glicee printing, I am finally able to recreate my art. Giclée prints incorporate all of the subtle nuances of my original art so well that it is rarely possible for me to distinguish one from the other”.

The Fall 2003 issue of American Artist's Watercolor Magazine featured an extensive article on my watercolor paintings. The article can be viewed on my BLOG

My watercolor painting "Unwrapped" was exhibited this past year at the National Watercolor Society and Philadelphia Watercolor Society's Members' Exhibition.

My watercolor paintings are reproduced using the Giclee printing process because it accurately duplicates the luminous quality of my watercolor washes. My limited edition Giclee prints are printed on a heavyweight archival watercolor paper, the same paper I use for my original watercolor paintings. Each print is signed and numbered.

Najaka's palette includes: lemon yellow, Sahara yellow, Gamboge, opera, mineral violet, permanent mauve, Hansa yellow deep, Hooker's green, Milori Blue, peacock blue, turquoise, Monestial blue, lapis lazuli, ultramarine violet, phthalo blue green, and Indian blue.

"I like to think of my approach to painting as "controlled spontaneity", remarks the artist. By disassociating herself with the subject the artist is able to focus on the interplay of shapes and colors that define the object and entertain her audience. "Someone once said my painting was like a "hot fudge sundae for the eyes."

posted by P.S. @ 7:25 PM