The Watercolors of John Singer Sargent

I've just bought a wonderful new book on the watercolours of John Singer Sargent, who was painting around the turn of the 20th century, mostly in Europe. I have to say they are absolutely tremendous. He had a style that was very free and simple and many of his paintings are composed of fresh and creative brush marks that just about describe what he is painting, but no more. There is just enough information to let the viewer know what the subject is, but with plenty of room left for the imagination. And his colours are clear, crisp and clean! You can feel the sunshine, the turbulence of the rushing river, and the stillness in the woods.
When I buy books like this from leading artists I like to have a go at copying their style. There is so much you can learn from copying the masters (and after all that is how artists have learned to paint down through the centuries). So in the coming weeks I'll choose a painting from the book that inspires me, try and work out how he painted it, and then have a go myself. It's a great way to learn!