Technical work, artistry meet in Barnewolt’s watercolors

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By David Burke | Monday, June 23, 2008 6:12 PM CDT | () comments

Quad-City watercolor artist Jon Barnewolt, 33, uses gentle washes or several coats of glaze to achieve the desired effect in his paintings. (Larry Fisher/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

Jon Barnewolt is giving equal time to both the left and right sides of his brain.

The analytical side is satisfied with being a part-time student at Palmer College of Chiropractic. And the creative side gets its due as a watercolor artist with his own WedgeWater Studios.

“That kind of appeals to my technical nature,” Barnewolt said of the human interaction of classes versus the solitary life of an artist. “I love being around people, and sometimes long hours in the studio can get lonely for me.”

Painting in watercolors, he said, allows him to be rigid with the form of a work while experimenting by crumbling a completed piece or spraying it with drops of water or a sprinkling of salt.

“You can be spontaneous, but you can also plan at the same time, and I have that kind of nature about me,” the 33-year-old said.

He tried oil painting and then bronze work while studying at Bradley University in his hometown of Peoria, Ill., but decided his best work was in watercolors.

“I tried just about every medium, and watercolors were the most challenging,” he said. “I’ve always been learning ever since — new techniques and new ways of expressing what I’m trying to express.”

Watercolors give no margin for error, he said.

“It’s transparent, so any mistake you might make, you can’t cover up,” he added.

Yet his works have a depth about them that’s not created with one brushstroke. To create one work, he said, it took 50 coats to achieve what he was after.

Gentle washes or several coats of glaze can give him the effect he is looking for as well.

“I’m always experimenting with different techniques to get that depth of field and that rich texture,” he added.

Some of his works are landscapes — including beach scenes from when he lived for a year in Portland, Ore., and seven years in St. Augustine, Fla., where he got a degree in history.

But there’s an equal fascination with Midwest architecture. He has taken to painting either entire or portions of historic houses that he’s seen in Davenport or in another of his favorite places to paint, Galena, Ill.

Barnewolt said he has a passion for the newer use of older buildings, which made his move into downtown Davenport’s Bucktown Center For the Arts, where he began occupying a small corner studio and gallery on the first floor last month, so welcome.

“I’ve always been really interested in architecture, and I’ve always had a passion for saving what could be saved, and rejuvenating and reusing buildings,” he said. “To find a new use for an old building, to give it a new life, is something I’ve had a ton of interest in.”

Anne Kirkpatrick, who runs Small Wonders Photography with her husband, Quinn, in Bucktown, said Barnewolt brings a new dimension to the arts center’s community.

“He’s very excited to be here in Bucktown,” she said. “He’s very excited about being a part of the arts scene in the Quad-Cities. That’s what we seek, that’s what we want.”

Barnewolt’s wife, Kristi, is also a student at Palmer — after serving for years as the Davenport chiropractic college’s international student adviser. The couple has a 12-year-old son and a 3 1/2-month old daughter.

“A lot of things are playing a role in his work right now,” Kirkpatrick said. “He has a really beautiful way of seeing the world.”

Besides his artwork, he and his wife are busy renovating a house in Bettendorf — a project in which both his creative and technical sides can shine.

“I need projects like that that are tangible, where I can use math and fractions,” he said. “I’m not your typical artist when it comes to that. I kind of figured out about myself that I need both.”

David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jon Barnewolt’s WedgeWater Studios is located in Suite 107 of the Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 E. 2nd St., Davenport. His telephone number is (563) 505-4223 and his Web site is BucktownArts.com/WedgeWater.