An exercise in watercolours reminds me of Batik, even though there’s nothing vaguely Indian in the whole set-up. Yet, hazy colours delve into gold lineaments and reflections of a sultry afternoon go haywire as the weather changes in front of my eyes. “I don’t do things deliberately – they just happen,” says the artist. And in this instance especially, “things” happen sublimely. Ever since Kenneth Zammit Tabona took to painting out in the open, there is no containing his productive verve. And the painting in front of me Water through which the dream flows...incidentally carries the same title as the latest of his exhibition of works, 41 in total, landscapes all.

Meeting Kenneth at the framers’, days before the paintings are hung at Gallery G, I get to experience these works at first hand. John, Lennard and Rose Hili have been his official framers since 2002 and their workshop is like home to the artist whose varied paintings can be seen lined up for attention. Kenneth’s gouache works seem a thing of the past as landscape after landscape grabs my attention. He readily admits he can’t go back to gouache now, which I question strongly.

“I first dabbled with watercolours when I was much younger and even took lessons with Giuseppe Arcidiacono who was very expansive with the medium.” In the meantime, a box of gouache paints from Switzerland which he had been given as a present when barely 13, had grabbed his whole attention and he had enjoyed them, thoroughly believing it was watercolour all along.

“Eventually, I discarded the real watercolours for new things, like pen and ink drawings which have always been my forte and that’s why I enjoyed illustrating Nicky Depiro’s Lost Letters so much.”

Today Kenneth can truthfully claim he has rediscovered watercolours with aplomb, seeing how the true nature of the medium developed slowly but surely as he gained increasing confidence. “It is another style, another side to myself, but still very me.”

And so I begin to delve through a dense Argotti wherein KZT admits he ran riot with the intricate details which he simply adores to work on. Then a painting of Gnejna and Ghajn Tuffieha, which Kenneth admits took a lot of climbing to complete.

We stall over Argotti once again, as Kenneth tells me how incidentally his great-grandfather - Francesco Debono was Professor of Botany at the Argotti Gardens. “It explains my instant attraction to this garden which intrigues me no end with its miscellany of plants growing in a higgledy piggledy way – I just adore it. I would abhor a rigid garden structure, but Argotti is just the thing to inspire me. There’s lots of texture which I enjoy experimenting with.”

And the landscapes go on through Dahlet Qorrot, Mgiebah Valley, Marsalforn. I halt at the sight of The Storm over Filfla where raindrops are painted in the ephemeral style of 19th century Japanese prints in a sublime manner that clearly distinguishes finish and dexterity.

Splendid blue skies over Fawwara where touches of gold create a tapestry-like feel and from there we move to Mdina which comes through in warm colours. Ghajn Tuffieha is a play of vibrant colours of luminous quality. Kenneth admits he does the bulk of the paintings outdoors and returns home to refine and finish off. Certainly there are surprises such as his fortifications in pink and the cranes and a lone sail juxtaposed against Marsamxetto. And obviously there were many happy days spent out in the open freely poring over scenery and washing away those colours..

Water through which the dream flows – An exhibition of paintings by Kenneth Zammit Tabona is being supported by the Bank of Valletta. It is on at Gallery G, Villa Gourgion, 4 Sir Ugo Mifsud Street, Lija. Exhibiting until 19 April