An Interview With Watercolour Master David Poxon
It’s been a busy few months for David Poxon RI, NWS, IWM. Planning, organising and hosting another prestigious International Watercolour Masters Exhibition attracting the top watercolourists from all over the world. We spoke to David to find out more about IWM and also his own work. David’s work involves a painstaking multi glazing technique for which he has won many awards and accolades for the precision and craftsmanship of his paintings.
You’ve just closed the doors on another amazingly successful International Watercolour Masters Exhibition. Can you tell us more about why you started the exhibition?

The original show was in 2018. I had been fortunate to have exhibited in numerous overseas exhibitions prior to then and had consequently befriended many of the world’s top watercolour artists in the course of my travels. In 2018 my original intention was to break the established art show/gallery format and start a new direction for exhibiting events with watercolours at the heart. I had a solo show planned in a stately home in Shopshire at Weston Park. Whilst in Shanghai in 2017, at an event in honor of Chinese Master Xiden Chen, I decided to expand my solo show and invite some of the artists present in China. IWM was born. The 2018 show was an amazing success, and it became obvious that I needed to find a larger and more expansive venue.
For the planned 2020 show I sourced Lilleshall Hall, which is the National Sports and Conference center in Shropshire. Unfortunately, with everything organised and all the paintings framed and ready, Covid got in the way. I had to postpone 2020 until 2022. Our IWM Format has really evolved into a festival. The exhibition featured 160 paintings. It is presented in a first class way with high class framing as visitors to the event will appreciate. The exhibition runs alongside live demonstrations in the IWM Arena from the Masters, while simultaneously four workshops were operating in special teaching rooms at Lilleshall. We ran 16 workshops at IWM2024, plus there were 30 live demonstrations. All the demo content was captured by IWM TV and can be seen on our subscription platform alongside interviews and lots of other interesting content.
What do you think the secret is to attracting the worlds’ elite watercolour painters to IWM?

Well it helps to know them personally. I also have a good reputation for being able to organise and create the infrastructure and team to run a high profile event. Additionally the artists get to network with all the other Internationals in front of a great live audience. The addition of IWM TV gives all the participating artists a really good potential income stream. Interestingly more than 30% of the live audience was from overseas.
Could you tell us a bit about your own work? What inspires you to put paint to paper?
I started painting at age 4, I still have my first watercolour tin made by Daler Rowney. My Mother used to cut up pieces of old wall paper for me to paint on. I was brought up in the Industrial heartland of the West Midlands and surrounded by factories and coal mines. Everything was covered in soot and smoke! Watercolours gave me an escape route into a colourful world, and I have never stopped painting. I get as excited now when I put brush to paper as I did as a small boy. I painted all the usual subjects of course, but over the years I have found my own methods to achieve the effects I want.
My subjects now are really about the DNA of objects and scenarios that have ‘worked’ for a living. I like to zoom in and try to replicate the texture particularly of things being reclaimed by nature.
Your work conveys so much texture, can you share some of your techniques? Do you have any that are unusual?

Textural effects are achieved in quite a few ways. I paint in pure watercolour, and do not use any white or black paint or additives. I work traditionally from light to dark leaving white paper as extreme highlights. However I have developed ways to manipulate both the paint and paper. To create colourways and tonal depth I use a multi layering technique with up to twenty layers of thin transparent wash. I have various methods of application, not just using brushes. When I run workshops I go through everything in a step by step teaching format. There is no one method or colour to get an effect – the combinations achieved during the journey are the things to enjoy. Watercolour painting is not a race – it is a search for yourself.
Which painting of yours are you most proud of, or consider a particular favourite?
As painters you have to think that your best painting is going to be the next one!
How do you know when a piece is finished?

The painting always tells the artist when it is finished. This can be a sudden and unexpected impulse. If the artist ignores this the work can veer off out of control, and all that meaningful effort can get lost!
You have exhibited widely and won many prizes – what achievement are you most proud of?
It is always great to get awards and recognition for particular paintings, but it is a momentary thing, also subjective depending on the opinions of others. All artists have to get used to not being accepted into shows, and not winning prizes! It does not mean the painting is no good, think of it as character building. For me getting elected into the Royal Institute (RI) was a big moment, as was achieving signature status in the NWS (National Watercolour Society of America – their RI Equivalent). However being able to put IWM together I would class as the biggest and most all round rewarding project. Bringing the worlds top painters to the UK and revealing them to our UK audience is special, showing where watercolour can take you if you persevere. But the greatest joy is always staring the next painting.
Which are your favourite brands of paint, brush and watercolour paper?

I use Schmincke watercolours, also some Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours. Paper I use Bockingford 200lb/425gm NOT surface made by St Cuthberts Mill. I always stretch my paper onto wooden boards to achieve a drum tight surface. Brushes – so many! Escoda the family run Barcelona makers supply my main brushes, but you know – your best tools are on the end of your arms!
Where can we see your paintings in real life, do you have any exhibitions coming up?
I have a book out now – ‘Watercolour Heart and Soul’ which is semi autobiographical and features more than 100 full colour paintings. After the efforts of IWM2024 I will enjoy getting back into my studio to start working on my next collection. Some paintings will go to overseas collectors and big shows like the NWS in the USA and also my gallery in Shanghai. I need to also replenish my available work. At some point I will start to plan IWM2026 and have a good look round the world to see which artists we will invite back. I will also look to find new artists who are up to the level we expect. We will also run a large contest to discover new painters who are ready for the big exposure IWM will give them.
David Poxon is an elected member of the prestigious the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours (RI) and has served on the RI Council. He is also a signature member of the National Watercolour Society of America (NWS). David organises and hosts the hugely successful International Watercolour Masters exhibition. It brings together the worlds elite watercolour artists with the exhibition running alongside live demo’s and workshops.
