“I always thought when you went blind, it was black. It wasn’t,” says watercolor artist Marlin Rotach, who noticed changes in his vision in the spring of 2018. “It was flesh-toned, and it was just like a curtain going across my eye until I had no sight at all.”

After visiting a specialist, Rotach learned that he was suffering from a detached retina, a condition that required two surgeries and left him blind in his right eye for five months. Unable to paint, but still able to use a computer, Rotach decided to try writing biographical vignettes about historical artists for his new book with Don Weller, “The River Flows: Watercolors of the American West.”

Read the full article in the September/October 2021 issue.

Ridin’ Down the Canyon

Watercolor
16” by 20”

“Since I was visiting the Red Rock country of Utah, I have started painting cowboys in definitive Western landscapes. I love composing with a camera and intentionally look for unusual shooting angles. This overhead trail ride scene, as the cowboy picks his way between boulders, really spoke to me.”

Made in the USA

Watercolor
24” by 30”

“This saddle painting displays my homage to the Baroque still life painters of the 17th century. It is a technique they developed called chiaroscuro. It focused on the drama created by strong contrasts of light and shadow. At the same time, I view this subject in terms of abstract qualities with an emphasis on diversity of shapes, colors, and textures. Like snowflakes, this subject comes in endless varieties.”