199 Pages, by Jan Noreus Jennings
167 color and black / white illustrations
12.5 x 10 inches, hardcover - $49.00
Frederic Whitaker and Eileen Monaghan Whitaker came from vastly different backgrounds, were a generation apart in age, and had distinctly individual and contrary reasons for painting. Despite the differences, Frederic (1891-1980) and Eileen (b. 1911) are among the most successful, revered, and respected artists in the history of American watercolor. They thrived as a couple for more than thirty-seven years, each one reveling in the affection and talents of the other and sustaining not only exceptional individual creative careers in the arts but also a love story of unparalleled mutual admiration and respect.
Contrasts That Complement: Eileen Monaghan Whitaker – Frederic Whitaker takes you into their lives. Both as artists and as real, down-to-earth people, they would love to chat with you about matters artists – or whatever matters in life. Through these pages, you will find yourself eager to be part of that conversation. You will see their contrasts, such as the basic one, why they paint: Frederic, to communicate with the average man and take him into his confidence, and also to share his own talents; Eileen, to express herself: First and foremost, “I must please myself!” And you will see that, whatever the contrasts, each is the perfect complement to the other.
The Whitakers’ professional successes are voluminous. Often referred to as “Mr. Watercolor,“ Frederic won more than 150 awards for his watercolors, served as president of the American Watercolor Society for seven years, and organized and served on the boards of numerous other national and regional art societies. He has written two books on painting, Whitaker on Watercolor and Guide to Painting better Pictures, and a third, The Artist and the Real World, a commentary on the arts. He is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award as one who rose from humble beginnings to make a significant contribution to society. His paintings are in major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Fine Arts Museum in Boston. Eileen has won more than 80 awards for her paintings and created the illustrations for her book, Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Paints San Diego. Her paintings are in several museums, including the Frye Art Museum in Seattle and the National Academy of Design in New York. Both artists have been featured in numerous books on watercolor painting, in art magazines, and in newspaper reviews and profiles.
In one of this book’s three critical essays, the art historian, watercolor specialist, and former museum director and curator Donelson Hoopes, who describes watercolor as the ‘American medium, ‘ says of the Whitakers: “Each is truly an exemplary advocate for ‘the American medium.’ “
California Watercolor - California Art Book