A Little Bit About Myself Born in Grand Junction, CO in 1962, Jonathan Frank spent his early formative years playing along the banks of the Colorado River and the canyons of the Colorado National Monument. As a young boy he reluctantly followed his family to Denver, where he spent the next 40 years living, drawing, and teaching himself the art of watercolor painting. However, his heart always remained attached to the lands west of the fourteeners - to the desert and its ways. After earning his first juried award in 2000, he was convinced that he could be a contender in the real art world. From 2003 to 2006, he traveled around the country participating in the art festival circuit, resulting in his paintings being acquired by galleries around the southwest and by private collectors in places as far reaching as Israel, Japan and New Zealand. In 2005, having the opportunity to move anywhere, he was able to combine his passion for red rock country and his life as an artist and moved to Southern Utah near his beloved Arches National Park. It’s difficult not to share his enthusiasm when perusing through his high definition depictions of dramatic western landscapes bathed in intense colors and light. He translates his affection for these natural scenes into stunning watercolor paintings which serve as poetic expressions attesting to the grand nature of the American west. Having set up home and studio in Moab, Utah, he finds contentment painting full-time and sharing life with his wife, North, and their dogs Zoey and Bock. View Jonathan's Artist Resume

My Process

My watercolor process involves painting hundreds of abstract shapes, all with hard edges,
within a representational framework. I paint layer over layer, floating pure color into clear
washes, letting the colors blend visually on the paper. When the colors reach the richness
I desire, and nothing else irritates me (needs fixing), I put down my paintbrush and pick-up
my rapidograph pen. I then outline, with India ink, every shape I've just painted. This unifies
the painting, makes it clean, and creates the effect of looking upon the scene in high-definition,
as if you could see everything perfectly.

You can see a slide show on the making of the Ephemeral Pool painting below