Rockingham watercolour art to go on show

As a celebration of Rockingham Watercolour Society's 20th anniversary, the artist group is holding a special exhibition at the Rockingham Arts Centre next week.

Public relations manager and all-round painter Robert Carter said watercolour was a difficult medium to paint but liked the way it provided different colour scapes, depending on how it was used.

"If you start with the light colours first you allow sunlight to penetrate and can create a luminous image," he said.

Fellow member and past group president Eileen Child said watercolour offered soft, picturesque opportunities.

"Watercolour is one of the hardest mediums, because if you make a mistake it's over. It's not easily repairable like acrylics or oils," she said.

"It's fluid and when you get it right it feels terrific.

She said because it dried quickly and was transportable, the medium was often used as a draft for oil masterpieces, but for the group it was the finished product.

"Watercolour used to be used for sketches and recording land marks for explorers," Mrs Child said. The 50-piece exhibition runs from October 8 to October 22, and will feature a Rockingham heritage collection.

Established in 1993 as part of a Rockingham Arts Council initiative, the group has increased in members from the initial 35 to 60, but continues to offer a creative avenue for Rockingham residents.