Anchor Artist : : Jerry Aissis

Jerry Aissis says "I enjoy capturing moments in time, moments that are a part of my life.  There are so many places to paint that I never have a difficult time trying to find subject matter. I usually start with my own backyard.  I love painting outdoor scenes that reflect the natural beauty of our world.

While in college I studied biology and art, hoping to combine the two areas as a medical or scientific illustrator.  I landed a teaching job in Central Falls and continued to work there for 33 years.  As a teacher in that school system, I had the opportunity to utilize my artistic abilities in the classroom creating scientific and biological diagrams for my classes.

It wasn’t until I retired from teaching that I started my journey into the world of watercolor.  I signed up for workshops at the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and there I knew I was hooked.  I have had the fortunate opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and interact with their ideas and advice.  I truly believe that to learn to paint, to learn to grow and develop as an artist, you must surround yourself with people who share that same love and desire for what they do. The Rhode Island Watercolor Society offers a place where you can develop your own technique and style.

Watercolor has a way of painting itself.  It is always a good idea to plan your scene and do several value sketches of your subject matter in order to produce a good painting.  I have shelves and shelves of paintings that have never quite made it to the framing stage.  It is only through your mistakes that you once in a while produce something worthwhile for public display.  I hope to continue painting as long as there are places and people to paint."