Painting a real stone Chateau

We did have an aquarellista session last week - we painted "view-through" - a landscape or something happening, seen through a window or an archway or a couple of pillars. It was very inspiring and there were some truly interesting results... But I forgot to take pictures... That's why you get a report on this week's painting of the Chateau de Castellaras (a commission). And because I often get the question "how do I do stones" I'll try to explain that here: there were a bloody lot of them in that painting...

I always start my paintings from the right hand side! Not the most efficient as I am right handed and have to be careful not to smudge parts that are still wet. I have tried to start left - but it just feels less good. Funny isn't it! Habits -even the wrong ones- are hard to break...

The finished product, 70X50 cm of hard work with a tiny brush. (click on it to enlarge)

One way of painting stones: just "hint" them. In the castle stones I could clearly detect the horizontal, irregular lines, and much less the vertical ones. So that was exactly what I painted in the sunny parts, like the tower. Note that it is important to take your time to observe what "the character" is of the stones. Where does the light come from, how do you see the shadows, how are they shaped, what is their colour, is the shadow and light very clear... The stones under the pillars are regular and square. I vary slightly in colour and paint them on top of each other, so that the rims of the aquarelle form natural shadow lines, and here and there I leave a small line unpainted (white)
Other stones are hopelessly irregular - but most of the time rectangular-ish. And because the light comes from above, the shadow will usually be under the stone.
Above the most varied piece of stone wall. Irregular, in size, colour, material, shadow and shade... I must admit that I "simplified" it a bit. I do that often, also with tiled roofs. (The brain still accepts it as a roof - although the tiles are much bigger than in real life...)

Next post about your work on "deep sea" and then we're on summer vacation!!

Girl Power?

This weekend I had the opening of a private exhibition. Forty of my aquarelles were on display for the residents of a very exclusive domaine.

Over there I met a lovely, mysterious and famous aquarellista. A wealthy man, made his fortune in Japan with his watercolours (yippee, it can be done!) who told me he gave lectures on academies all over the world - but that the English watercolour tradition didn't accept him. I'll be contacting soon to hear more of his stories, admire his work, and I'll let you know all about it.

I am very proud that he appreciated "my DNA". There was another well-known and talented artist present who holds the aquarelle brush from time to time and I'll feature him as well in later posts.
The other visitors were all interested in art - well - the women were! From the comments I received I could make up that they understood what I was doing (or trying to do) with my abstract free work: Use the behaviour of the paint to create something that comes out of ME, my brain, my imagination, my DNA. The result is a surprise to me too, it is never exactly planned and I only show what I like.
But I feel I'm on to something there, something original, that I must work with, and it has to do with the origin - of me, but also of life itself. Very modest, not?

Anyway - the men, with exception of the artists, were all looking for something they could recognise. "I like the protraits much better" was a much-heard remark. "A very free interpretation of DNA" or "doesn't look like DNA at all" were down-to-earth others. And last but not least "I can see you are a woman - you paint textile and fabrics, looks like needlework" .

Don't get me wrong -I appreciate the input and I do wonder if it might be true, as I have noticed before that in general my work is recognized by women, they seem to like it better than men and also somehow understand the "deeper" meaning ... More later! And I'd like to read your comments, so don't hesitate to react. On my website you can see more work...

Swapping II

Cathie van der Stel and Marina Teding -together responsible for this interesting "fruit"

Forest and mist - Brenda Moorehouse and ....

The second swapping afternoon was fun (of course: who wouldn't love to just experiment for the experiment and without any result obligation...). We started out the same as last time, one starts with the background, another chooses and finishes it -

Chagall - Marianne van Wijngaarden & Helene van der Kroft

but this time after the foreground was done, we sometimes let a third person put in the details. Like with this one below, a joint effort of Cathie (background vaguely resembling a face) Brenda (clearly recognized Cleopatra) and Marina (put eye make up and lipstick on her) o well - we had fun Here below is my favourite - it looks so graphical and the colours enhance each other. But the other aquarellista's don't agree!! We left the (white) masking fluid on - the effect is interesting! (I think)

Lies Timmermans en Cathie van der Stel

and then some lovely initiatives like this one by Hélène

We won't get together coming week - I'll post about another aquarellista subject!