Cliff Enright, a New York painter and longtime teacher of adult students came to New York in 1970 on a Canada Council Grant. He never returned to his university position in Saskatchewan, but stayed to become a popular teacher, and to paint. From loosely based figurative watercolors of destinations throughout the world, Enright has broken through into an altogether new and dynamic style. Many of the works employ a grid from which to view the tempos and rhythms of the city. Inspired by music that has been his constant companion, these paintings burst with energy and power. His newer works, however, have worked their way out of the grid and their exuberant forms are mesmerizing.
His new watercolor paintings are especially remarkable when one considers the fact that about four years ago, Enright suffered a spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic. Not giving up, he persisted in physical therapy until he could once again hold a brush. These triumphant watercolors, bright spontaneous bursts of color are hardly what one expects to emerge from the hand of someone whose life has been so nearly shattered.
“People ask me how, as a quadriplegic, I am able to paint. The answer is that my aides help a lot. I tell them what paint to lay out on the palette and what brushes I am going to use. After the paint is laid out, the aide positions the brush in my hand and I paint. I use a hair dryer to speed up the process of drying the watercolors. After the paint is dry, I apply liquid mask and dry the mask. Then I apply a second coat of paint, dry the painting again, and remove the mask, which is now dry, to obtain the final result.” – Cliff Enright