Emil Jean Kosa, Jr., contributed to the formation of a California watercolor style that gained national recognition during the 1930s. Kosa preferred the wet-into-wet technique, applying pigment to his large sheets in broad strokes. Many of his prizewinning watercolors were of the Southern California countryside, as is The First Overcast. A master of shadowy effect, Kosa captures the moment before a storm by softening the forms and limiting the palette mostly to grays and olive greens. His fluid manner gives breadth and power to the expansive landscape.
