Margaret Huddy

Like the Impressionists, I spent many years as a "plein air" painter, during which time I absorbed the color and quality of light. Now when working in my studio I am able to exploit the natural white of the paper and the translucence of watercolor. I sculpt the forms in a realistic style but with a passionate feeling for the emotions they convey. The color is exaggerated in order to express the drama and pathos of my subjects. In my recent paintings I am working in a limited palette of triads of red, yellow and blue. The absence of black and the intensity of color produce the heightened emotion I want to convey. I have loved the beautiful architecture of Washington since I first came here on a high school field trip. I shoot hundreds of images in my wanderings around the city to use as inspiration for my monumental watercolors. I particularly love the clear light of winter and the bare trees that allow me to see through them to pieces of the buildings.