Sylvia Megerdichian

Portrait by: Gene Sasse 2010

Sylvia Megerdichian is known for her imaginative, semi-abstract watermedia paintings. She has developed a special technique in which she combines and layers conventional watercolor with Caran d'Ache watercolor pencils, collage and/or ink. Recently her work is mostly on canvas combining collage, acrylic, and Caran d'Ache pencils

“I began painting in pure, transparent watercolor but found that my ideas were better conveyed with mixed media. The clean, crisp look wasn’t enough for me. Since drawing is my first love, I started making marks on my watercolors, layering with Caran D'Ache crayons and pencils, which became my language of painting. Now I’m still layering, incorporating gooey watercolors straight from the tube just as an oil painter would.

I have five series that I’ve been working on for some time. I paint in one series until I have nothing else to say, and then I switch to another. Since I always have another series waiting for me, I never have painter’s block; my old work is my inspiration. In my Rooftop Series, the idea of diverse cultures and religions living side by side has been the inspiration and the content of my paintings.”

Greece Sunlight 1995 | 11x14 Watercolor | 43.13.10

Tropical Night 1999 | 11x14 Mixed Media | 74.14.02

Red Turban 2016 | 8x8 Mixed Media | 671.17.07

© 2017 Inland Empire Museum of Art
All Art © by The Artist