Watercolour Gallery
“Watercolour was the first place I learned to listen to the world…” Xander Jefferies
Xander's approach to watercolour
“Watercolour was the first place I learned to listen to the world…” Xander Jefferies
Watercolour was my first love, though I didn’t realise it at the time. I think what drew me in wasn’t the colour or the technique, but the stillness it required of me. I’ve never been a loud person, never been one for grand gestures, and watercolour… well, it rewards the kind of temperament that doesn’t mind sitting quietly with things.
People talk about controlling the medium, but I’ve never felt that was the point. Watercolour has its own way of moving, its own pace, its own small rebellions. You put down a wash and it spreads like a thought. I learned early on that if I tried to force it, it would simply show me how wrong I was. So I started watching instead, and waiting, to see what would happen.
There’s something philosophical in that, I think - this idea that the painting isn’t a declaration but a conversation. You make a mark, and the water answers. Sometimes gently, sometimes not. Sometimes favourably, but often not... though always honestly.
And the light… with watercolour, the light isn’t something you paint. It’s something you protect. You leave space for it. You let it remain untouched. It’s a strange discipline, learning to build a painting out of what you don’t touch. It taught me a lot about restraint, about trust, about the value of letting things be. Employing restraint as moments settle allows you to see what’s already there without you grabbing at it.
I suppose that’s why watercolour stayed with me. It just sits there, quietly revealing itself to anyone patient enough to look. I’ve always admired that. Maybe I’ve always wanted to be a bit like that.
Even now, after wandering through other materials and other ideas, I go back to watercolour when I need to remember who I am. It’s the place where I first understood that art isn’t about imposing yourself on the world—it’s about noticing what the world is already whispering.
And if I’m honest, I think that’s still what I’m trying to do.