Animals, real or imaginary, and their mythology have long been my favorite subject matter.
Of all the media I use, I have a special affinity with watercolor because it is at once fragile and powerful. I am extremely meticulous in my work and the unpredictable nature of the medium challenges me.
For several years I was designing repeat patterns for fabrics. Like Escher, I became intrigued by the idea that a single composition could be repeated indefinitely as tessellation. Although my goal is to create an individual piece, it brings me a sense of awe that it is also a “tile” which, if replicated, would create a larger pattern flowing outward without gaps or overlaps. The challenge is to keep the composition together as a whole while matching all the edges. In these works I feel somehow reassured to know that the edges are not necessarily endings, but connections to an infinite pattern.
- Alain Vaës, 2010
Checklist
1.
Untitled (Eagle), 2007
Watercolor on paper
18 7/8 x 16 inches
AVd 1
2.
Untitled (Three Dragons), 2007
Watercolor on paper
22 ¼ x 17 5/8 inches
AVd 29
3.
Untitled (Frogs and Flowers), 2009
Watercolor on paper
sheet size 19 3/4 x 21 1/4; image 18 x 18 1/2 inches
AVd 8
4.
Untitled (Dragon and Dog), 2009
Watercolor on paper
Sheet size 21 1/8 x13 ¾; image size 18 ½ x 12 inches
AVd 12
5.
Untitled (Eagle on Rock), 2006
Watercolor on paper
Sheet size 19 1/8 x 19 ¾; image size18 ½ x 17 inches
AVd 13
6.
Untitled (Dragon on Rock), 2010
Watercolor on paper
Sheet size 22 ¼ x 21; image size 18 ½ x 17 inches
AVd 11
7.
Untitled (Dragon and Waves), 2007
Watercolor on paper
22 ½ x 17 ¾ inches
AVd 2
8. (Window)
Untitled (Two Dragons on Black Ground), 2007
Watercolor on paper
22 x 16 inches
