You were one of the Fabriano ở Acquarello artist delegates from Greece for 2019 – can you tell us about your experience?

Being the Under 30 Artist for Greece was a great experience for me. I was able to meet many great people and masters of watercolor, converse about art and exchange ideas. InArte is an opportunity that every watercolor artist must chase. In Greece, watercolor is a very misunderstood medium and is often treated as of less value compared to other forms of paintings. It is wrongly considered as a material for sketches and quick notes. InArte is a great way to dispute that perception, as it helps watercolorists show their full potential. The institution of the Under 30 Artist is of great importance to emerging artists like myself, because it is a chance to watch and learn from established watercolorists from all around the world, which can be impossible to find under normal circumstances.

Johnny Patramanis painting with DANIEL SMITH Watercolors

Why did you choose watercolor as your medium?

Watercolor works great with my personal style. Usually I work very fast with my paintings. I like using bold, gestural moves in some areas and in others, I like being more precise and realistic. I like using watercolors for the atmosphere they provide. It’s wonderful to watch the colors mixing together on the paper. The exciting thing for me is that I can use many techniques in the same painting. Watercolor can be a very challenging medium, though – with one wrong brush stroke it can be very unforgiving, but that’s the fun part. You’re always learning something new working with this medium.

Two portraits:  Blu  (left) and Clara

How long have you been painting and which artists inspire you?

In my early experience with ink, I was hooked on the water-soluble mediums, so about 7 years ago I started using watercolor, among others. For the past year, I have been painting exclusively with watercolor and ink. Agnes Cecile is the reason why I started using watercolors. When I saw her paintings, something clicked inside and she’s an inspiration to me. Dominic Beyeler helped me define my style as well. I also love the precision and dedication of George Politis Và Giovanni Balzarani, and the atmosphere of Thomas W Schaller Và Alex Hillkurtz.

Emma (left) and Untitled

What subjects do you enjoy painting?

Figurative art is my thing. The human body is the reason why I got into painting in the first place. When you come into contact with a person, eyes and lips are the focal points that direct the communication. So in my paintings, there is the simulation of this perception, the color is concentrated around these two more expressive points, leaving the rest to be implied, thus creating a sense of eroticism and tenderness.

Untitled (left) and Inka – both painted with the DANIEL SMITH Ultimate Half Pan Bộ màu nước

What are your favorite DANIEL SMITH Watercolors?

I love the rich and vibrant colors…they’re smooth and powerful, making my paintings come to life. My top 3 favorites are:

Hoa oải hương:  Great color for the first shadow layer of my paintings, it provides an excellent subtle base.

Pyrrol đỏ thắm:  I love reds, so this is a great color for skin tones and lips.

Ánh trăng:  A truly majestic color, great for shadows and depth.”

My other favorites are:

Buff Titanium, Xanh lam, Xanh lam Ultramarine, Màu xanh của Mặt Trăng, Sodalite Chính hãng, Xanh xám của Payne, Hoa tử đằng, Hoa hồng Ultramarine, Bóng tối màu tím, Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Chính hãng, Serpentine Chính hãng, Màu xanh lá cây thác nước, Đỏ Venice, Đỏ Ấn Độ, Và Đen Mặt Trăng.

George Politis

George Politis talks about Johnny Patramanis

As the 2019 FabrianoInAcquarello Country Leader for Greece, what did you see in Johnny Patramanis and his work that caused you to select him for Greece’s Under 30 Artist for the FabrianoInAcquarello convention? What does showing work at a convention like Fabriano mean to artists, young and older?

Johnny is an excellent young artist who has great potential and future. He has a strong academic background, but also experiments a lot and grows fast as an artist. Greece has been participating in the Fabriano Watercolor Festival for the last five years. It is one of the most interesting artist meetings in the world. Our country aims to show watercolor artists of different levels and ages. It is important to show the variety of approaches and styles, as this can be the medium for everybody.

Watercolor in Greece has been underrated overall, but is growing rapidly in the last years. One reason for that is that the Biennial of Watercolor (named “Watercolor International”) is organized in Thessaloniki. This is something I initiated in 2014, trying to promote water media in Greece. Top watercolor artists from all over the world are invited to participate. Such an exhibition is like a magnet for Greek artists of all ages. More and more wish to start painting in watercolor and get to know more about it. The aims of the “Watercolor International” (WI) are similar to the ones set in Fabriano, so it is no surprise that WI and Fabriano in Acquarello have been partners since 2017.

I organize several workshops in Greece and also other countries. I find it very important to help artists find more ways to express themselves and learn more about this fantastic medium and how important it is to use the right material. Working with younger people is really so rewarding, as they are eager to push the limits and experiment, something that I love and admire! Introducing DANIEL SMITH  colors is also important!  I have been working with DANIEL SMITH from my first steps, about twenty five years ago. The variety and the excellent quality of the paints is such that I cannot do without them in my work.

George Politis demonstrates at Fabriano In Acquarello in 2016 with Laurin McCracken in the background.

Fabriano In Acquarello convention in 2016. Left and bottom right are in the corridor near the DANIEL SMITH Booth.

Corridor at the Fabriano In Acquarello near the DANIEL SMITH booth in 2016

One of the lectures and demos at Fabriano In Acquarello in 2018.