Visual arts talk: Watercolor artist Pat Hitchens

Watercolor artist Pat Hitchens said she paints with watercolors and silk dyes because both methods begin as a blank white sheet. And on that sheet, Hitchens blends the silk, the ink and the paint into floral creations of hibiscus, orchids and other dramatic flowers.

These are among the paint­ings on display starting Mon­day at Macy’s Art Gal­lery, 1601 Third Ave., downtown Seattle. The exhibit is pre­sented by the Women Painters of Washington and will run through Feb. 27.

Hitchens has experimented with numerous art techniques, including wildlife art, traditional watercolor, silk painting, Chinese art and calligraphy. Her work is displayed at the Women Painters of Washington Gallery in downtown Seattle’s Columbia Center.