yes, you read that right…i said influential artists, not photographers this time! but this time, we’ll be talking about the painter J. M. W. Turner. Turner was a British landscape and seascape painter who painted for roughly sixty years. he was primarily a watercolor painter, although he worked with oil and experimented with additional techniques as well. his early work was wonderful, offering fine detail throughout many of his paintings, but as time progressed his work became more abstract. he would offer just enough detail to make out the scene, or perhaps enough detail to give glues as to what the scene may be. but even in this later stage, it was the development of his use of light that makes him a favorite of mine. Turner’s later work showed the light on the landscape (or often seascape) rarely, if ever seen before. his study of color theory and explorations of color theory produced wonderful explosions of harmonious and contrasting colors in skies. it is this work - the work showing off light and color in his later work that really endears him to me.

you can find out more about Joseph Mallord William Turner at https://www.william-turner.org/ and https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/joseph-mallord-william-turner. there are numerous other places online and in print where you can learn about him, but the links I’ve included are sites contain a good number of his works and these museums have displayed a number of his paintings - many which he donated.