Ian Tremewen is an abstract watercolorist caught between two islands. From the pineapple fields and harbors of Maui to the rain forests and sand islands of Australia, Tremewen enlivens his watercolors with abstract shape, color, and excitement.

Although he has lived in many places, the Pacific Rim is now the epicenter of his travels. Spending almost equal amounts of time between Lahaina, Maui, and Coolangatta, Australia, he and his family prove that two "islands" in the Pacific can be dramatically similar amidst very intrinsic differences.

Born in Montreal, Tremewen was educated in his native Canada, the Carribean, and Bermuda. In addition, both his parents were successful artists who taught and encouraged his artistic talents. By age 20, he had traveled extensively through the South Seas, and water had become predominant theme in his work.

Watercolor has always been his preferred medium. "The freedom and looseness the water adds fascinates me. Essentially, watercolor is a series of washes that are laid one upon the other until you obtain a desired effect. It is a temperamental medium that takes patience to master."

Tremewen's vivid imagination extends to the colors nature has created. "I look at those trees. They have pink fringes on them and I think, 'What if the whole tree was pink? What if they were fluorescent pink?' I paint them that way. The berries are red and hang in a triangular shape, so I paint that. There are some trees without berries, so I take the color of the tree and exaggerate it to capture the vibrancy and life of the forest."

"I look at a particular color or shape and envision it bigger and bolder. I do not factually re-create the rain forest, I interpret it. I'm so concerned that they may one day disappear. The problem that is occurring in South America is beginning to happen in Australia and on Maui. I'm trying in my own way to educate the public, bring awareness, and save the uniqueness of what makes Australia, Hawaii and the world special.

Because watercolor is a flat medium, Tremewen must be particularly inventive to encompass the subleties of texture. "To enhance my pieces texturally, I create embossments in the watercolor paper to allow more depth and more light refraction. The pigment will be absorbed where the surface of the paper has been altered, creating shadows and subtleties."

Describing his own work, Tremewen says, "I think of my art as contemporary watercolor, yet I stay with many traditional techniques. For instance, there is no white paint used, just the transparent colors on the white paper. However, there are so many ways to use the richness of color. Soft or solid, hard or diffused edges, layered or alone, electric or subdued."

Working on location helps Tremewen to capture the vagaries of the weather, insects, and birds, all adding to the need for quickly capturing essential shape, color, light and density. Working from thumbnail sketches allows him to capture the very core of what he sees. Basic forms are thereby highlighted, pared down, and intensified into pure and unadorned renderings through his initial contact. Reduced to their elementary forms, the landscape comes to life.

Pink Palms

Ulupalakua Hale Molokini Cloud Shadows

Dream Time Beach Light

Long Surf and Turf

It is these amorphic shapes of nature that preclude repetition or boredom
in Tremewen's watercolors. His unique viewpoint brings to his work both
strength and imagination, uncovering a vision of the landscape we might
otherwise miss. Ian Tremewen unveils to the viewer his very original and
slightly offbeat individuality. On Maui, or Australia, or anywhere else, his is
a talent universally receiving uncommon applause.