Roland White began his art career as a Potter in 1968. Throughout his career he was well know for his distinctive eastern style brush painting on high fire stoneware and porcelain ceramics. Midway in his career he was introduced to watercolor painting by his friend and artist Nelson Sandgren. He was instantly attracted to this medium and in 1985 he ended his pottery, but continued with watercolors while he was beginning a new business.

     Over the last several years Roland has rekindled his love for painting and has been inspired to create new watercolors on a regular basis. His art work is a reflection of the natural world. Throughout his life he has chosen to live near the ocean or mountains, therefore his art is influenced by his surrounding environment.

Artist Statement

     Roland White creates watercolors with a masterly control of light and imagination that is inspired by his love for nature as he turns water, pigment and paper into works of beauty and life. His paintings are inspired by many sources in nature from mountains rivers and critters to flowers, gardens and beyond.

     “My art usually starts out with a single idea and the work grows upon itself into many aspects of discovery, intuition and spontaneous experimentation. When this process is played out into the creation of a painting, a good idea will paint itself”.

     "Art is my connection to the collective spirit and my goal is to extend that field of spirit to the viewer through my work." In creating art I am absorbed by the spiritual intelligence that unites us all. I am open to the wonder of possibility, harmony and coincidence as each new painting begins with a thought, and ends with an experience.

     Roland’s spirit has benefitted by living in beautiful places. He spent 10 years at the foot of Mt. Hood in Oregon, 12 years on the Oregon Coast, and has lived in Central Oregon’s High Desert community of Bend since 1989 with his wife Laura on their country acreage.

History

     Roland began his art career in 1968 as a Studio Potter and later in his career became a Watercolor Artist. He gained recognition regionally and nationally by showing in the top shows in the Northwest and West Coast including the Portland Art Museum, The Oregon School of Arts & Crafts, Portland State University, The Columbia Art Gallery, Portland’s Art Quake, The Northwest Pacific Arts & Crafts Show, and the Bellevue Washington Museum of the Arts.

     During his career Roland had the reputation of producing exquisite pottery forms and decoration on his work. He developed a unique decorative overgalze brush painting technique that was distinctive and original. Throughout his career he taught numerous workshops and classes for schools and art centers like Portland State College, The Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, The Portland Art Museum, The Potters Workshop and Portland’s Creative Arts at Menuca Program. He has participated in numerous one man and group shows on the west coast throughout his career and sold his work in many fine arts and crafts gallery's.

     Roland ended his Potter’s career in 1985 but continued to do a limited amount of watercolors. In 2005 he reignited his interest and passion for creativity and is now regularly producing fresh exciting work. He is now producing large sized watercolors that are available as originals or in exclusive signed and numbered limited edition Giclee Prints.