Inspired by Ken Thrift

Liz' Ken-inspired painting... I find it Fantastic!!

In general we choose a new subject every week, and alternate between 'figurative' and 'abstract'.
Here you see the results of 'being inspired by Ken Thrift'. Based on an article in l'Art de l'Aquarelle where he explains how he creates his watercolours... : start with a light, loose drawing. Then add a  light background. Let yourself be led by that to add the darker and brighter colours. Then draw the details with Chinese (black) ink. The results were so cool - and surprising!

Brenda's Abstract n°1

Brenda's abstract n°2

 

Brigitte hasn't finished yet, but it is already awesome!

Both Sylvie and Patience chose the painting in which a Bedouin-like figure is visble on the right...

Always amazing to see the different styles and interpretations!!

Of course there were also other projects going on. Brenda finished her abstract mushroom and I somehow forgot to take a picture... Next time maybe. And then some pottery:

Sylvie in her signature blue - with very attractive background!

Brigitte finished her still life with pots - there's plenty of clever little things in there, and also a lot of hours!!

And Carol with another brilliant still life, I am seriously impressed!!

Anna Karin is back! To get into the groove again, she worked outside and painted the Hangar trees, with mars black. With her big brush. The style is so unmistakably hers! I'm happy she joins us again, to add another, different take on expression!

And Liz took her gorgeous steering wheel a step further. It is so well done, symmetrical and metal versus wood! I love it.

PS1: If you miss your turtle, go have a look on www.hangarart.blogspot.com because that's where I posted them

PS2:Now that I have your attention, could you all go to our Aquarellista Facebook Page and LIKE and LOVE and AWE the work? I am posting like crazy but it doesn't score as well as I had hoped...

Turtled!

Last week our subject du jour was 'Sea Turtles'. Just Because. Also, they are very interesting - and I have once in my life actually seen one in the middle of the Ocean, in a storm: he (or she) paddled calmly past us. And made quite an impression. They are ancient creatures, around for over 100 million years, from the time of the dinosaurs. I learned from Agnès that they cannot retract their flippers like other turtles. Well, and they are absolutely beautiful, intelligent and full of expression!
All of us worked on doing them justice in watercolours  - and I think that worked out! Here are the results:

 Doreen painted a baby sea turte of (as she called it) "a whole new species". She experimented with salt, very brave!

Brenda's turtle looks mildly at us while swimming...

This sea turtle was painted by Bev, 'Diving' movement very well achieved!

Celina's turtle - almost finished... I love her clear lines and the contrast between the flowy background, the interesting back and the almost mosaic-like flippers and head

 

Dave painted this friendly giant turtle - with a beautiful aura. Quite an achievement: it was his very first painting in watercolours!!

Another gorgeous sea turtle, by Elia. This one high up in the sea. Perfect use of salt and colour. I hope to show you the finished version next post! 

Sylvie already painted a sea turtle some time ago, but she started a new one in a new style, with pleasure!

This colourful version was painted by Agnès, I love it! For the story behind it, check out her blog www.hobbysketcher.com

 

And last but by no means least, Patience painted this amazing fast andenergetic turtle... he swims just under the surface, and the sun shines!

 

Stretching paper revisited...

Below are a couple of pictures in which I stretch watercolour paper. It can be done in more ways (with staples for instance), but I use paper tape, Arches 180 or 300 grs torchon paper, water resistant boards and a bath tub half-full with water 

Here's how I do it:

The (still wrapped) roll of Arches Torchon paper, 1.13m wide and 9m long... 

...paper unwrapped and ready to be cut...

 

 ...sheets straightened, soaking in the tub with cold water...

...wet sheets hanging...

...cut to size...

...press out the water (diagonally) and stretch at the same time... 

...cut the sticky paper tape... 

 ...one paper stretched...



...boards with stretched paper drying...

See the Aquarellista Blog to check out to what's done with them :)

3 Portraits in watercolours - an Aquarellista Holiday...

The group of watercolourists will start again on 5 September, after a month. You can look forward to pictures of their work from next week...

I have spent all of August in a blissful artist mood, working on several projects. The 500 years Valbonne book (more later!), my expo in the Chateau des Demoiselles (more later!) and the one that I told some of you about: 'the dead wife painting'.

This was the challenge:
A commission to paint the portrait of a woman who passed away. I have done that before, but I always knew the person. In this case I had never met her. Her husband gave me a lot of pictures which I carefully studied. Then I sent him the selection that I thought would be a good basis for a portrait. He never replied, and, confident as I am, I assumed I chose the correct examples and started with an aquarelle. A big one. On Arches 600grs torchon...
When I was happy with the face, I sent a picture to him, expecting praise and maybe even emotion. He replied that it was awful and didn't look like her at all... oops! That was the start of a very very interesting path, in which I became humble again and learned a lot! It was a combined effort, of using the pictures more loosely, and adding what he told me about her. Spontaneous, warm, with a real smile, and colourful clothes...

After 28 watercolours and at least as many sketches, I finally got it right. I loved it. He loved it. He actually loved it so much that he asked me to paint 2 more portraits like it, to give to other people who loved her. And that's how I spent my off-Hangar days - couldn't have wished for a better way...

Here are the three portraits I finally delivered, all 3 on rough handmade paper: