Gerald Fritzler

Gerald Fritzler's skills and love for watercolor were developed during his studies in Chicago at the American Academy of Art under the instruction of Irving Shapiro and Bill Parks. After completing his studies at the Academy, he became an Illustrator at an art studio in Milwaukee where he continued to hone his skills and talent on a commercial level. After a few years he decided to leave the commercial art field and pursue his goal and dream to become a full time watercolor artist and paint the world over as he responded to it.

Today, living with his family in Western Colorado, Gerald has achieved many goals in his career as one of the countries top watercolor artists. He travels every year in search of new and exciting subject matter, painting on location as in the studio. His extensive travels have taken him to China, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tahiti, Italy, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, and locations throughout he United States. At home he continues to paint the splendor of the Rocky Mountains and the red rock canyonlands near his home. Gerald says that his watercolors are a "slice of my life", a very personal view of the world that he experiences wherever he travels, both at home and abroad. "Plein air painting on location has helped me approach my watercolors in a very spontaneous and colorful way, boldly responding to each exciting subject with great emotion." Gerald’s maturity and self-confidence in this respect has taken him to that level.

Fritzler watercolors have been featured in a number of fine art magazines including American Artist, Artist of the Rockies and the Golden West, The Artist's Magazine, Southwest Art, and Art of the West. His work has been published in numerous books including "Best of Watercolor", "Splash III, IV, and V", "A Gallery of Marine Art", "Contemporary Western Artists", "Watercolor Expressions", "A Simple Secret to Better Painting", and others.

With over four decades building a world-renowned watercolor career, Gerald Fritzler has shifted his focus toward complete chromatic freedom. Using his experience and expertise with color, composition, value, and movement, Fritzler has moved into the world of abstraction. Often not using brushes, he has taken to paint applied to the canvas and moved over the surface with various scrapers. The new venture has offered both control and a new found freedom in these spectacular works.

Gerald is a member of the National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, California Art Club, The Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society, Northwest Rendezvous Group and a signature member of the American Watercolor Society and Plein-Air Painters of America (PAPA).