A State of Flow: Watercolor with Massimiliano Iocco

An artist shares his plein air philosophy for embracing imperfections and seeking a human connection.

Italian artist Massimiliano Iocco blends bold brushwork with a joyful disregard for control to transform urban scenes into portals of emotion, through watercolor. I had the privilege of observing the artist’s plein air sketching process in action last summer, in China, at the annual Qingdao International Watercolor Exhibition.

It was refreshing to learn that what most inspires Iocco is a measure of disorder. He finds beauty even in the more mundane features of cityscapes and often uses these unexpected elements to create visual interest and movement in his paintings. What draws his eye? Shadows for one thing. In the artist’s plein air sketch of the pier at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, a lamp post and rubbish bin cast deep shadows into the foreground, while the background buildings are muted and sparsely painted. The architecture is there to frame the drama of the main event––light and shadow falling across the pier.

How does Iocco choose what to paint? His creative process begins before he ever puts brush to paper—by fully immersing himself in a place. When he’s away from home, this means acting “not like a tourist, but like a traveler,” he says. To do this, the artist likes to establish a genuine human connection. “We’re not machines,” he says. “Before I can begin painting, I need to feel the life and culture of a place. I may need a few days to get myself artistically centered. The light is different. The sounds are different. Everything is different. So, I need a little time. Only then is it possible for me to paint what I feel about a place.”

Over the years, Iocco has developed a singular practice that helps him achieve this—talking to people while he paints. When he does, he achieves a state of flow. “I don’t want to be alone when I paint,” he says. “I want to make connections with people. For me, that’s one of the most beautiful things about my work.” 

So, when he’s painting on location, he doesn’t discourage passersby from coming up to ask about his art. “When I paint en plein air, I can’t be alone because there are so many curious people constantly coming up to me. I’m trying to paint life in that moment, so talking with people helps me get more information onto the paper.”

Read more about Massimiliano Iocco’s creative process and view his finished paintings in the Fall 2025 Watercolor Artist.

Christina Richards is the managing editor of Watercolor Artist magazine.

About the Artist

Massimiliano Iocco(@massimiliano_iocco) is an Italian artist living in Rome. He has been painting professionally for the past two decades and is drawn to plein air painting in watercolor as it forces him to approach his work intuitively and rapidly. He runs a painting school and conducts watercolor workshops around the world. “The watercolor medium offers endless possibilities,” he says. “It is continuous research.”