Watercolours that look like Acrylic pourings - part I

We, the South-of-France Aquarellistas try to alternate figurative (-ish) watercolour  paintings with abstract and non-figurative work. We're not rigid in that schedule, but in general we keep to that because we think it is good for the brain to experiment in a creative way and discover new things. 

Last week we tried to achieve paintings that resemble the results of an acrylic technique called 'pouring'. We used pictures with lots of 'cells' and used the shapes and the colours to create that abstract effect - in watercolours. Not easy! We all need more time for sure - but the first results look interesting as you can see below:

Glen and I worked together on the first layers. there's masking fluid, a lot of wonderful blue (Peacock and Ultramarine) and not yet enough Opera Rose but that will come next time, when we will remove the masking and fill the 'paths' around the cells with yellow, orange and pink.

 

Ingrid has started with one that will be very strong once it is in the next stage. The thing with watercolours is always that if you use more layers, the basic wash is not very spectacular. Yet the drawing shows a bit what you can expect and I look very much forward to the next stage!

Although she is still slightly in doubt if this is really 'her', Sonya's first layer shows a very good and already interesting composition. Again, I so look forward to seeing the next stage. Well done!

Michèle sends her greetings to all, from Bretagne - as well as this amazing 'pour' with cells. The colours are brilliant, the composition is beautiful - and they could be real cells. Also - it is finished! Love it.

Jutta's other Gladiolus started out as a Cell -abstract! It just wasn't for her - so she turned it into this crazy creative Carnival-version. She had a lot of fun creating it (as you can probably see) On the other end of the spectrum, below her first one, painted to perfection and not only beautiful but somehow also cute. Just know that she had fun -different, more poetic fun- painting that one... 

 

 

this delicate Gladiolus is painted by Glen . It has many, very light layers and she combined this painting with her cell abstract above. One dried while she worked on the other. That's the way to do it!

Geneviève is a new member of the Aquarellistas, and she started with the 'Spheres' exercise - see below. She did a very good job, and went straight to the gladioli. Doesn't that look promising?!

Ingrid finished her gladiolus and painted a dark and straight background, which gives the flowers a strong clear lined and graphic aspect. I seem to remember that that happens more often in her work, such an interesting style!

Randi gave the background of her 'Magic Glady' an extra layer of, well, magic, and it is even more beautiful now! Also an example hof ow complementary colours (green and red) make each other stronger.

 

Bev continued with a watercolour she started pre-covid and she now added a strong South of France aspect: the sun! At this point through the shadows - and it works, look at that horse! Can't wait to see it finished!

 

Geneviève came in and although she has been using watercolours before, she felt like painting the starters exercise and painted the spheres before she joined the others. Super well done! They jump off the paper...

 

 

And just in, last but by no means least: Judith's next 'veil' composition, which I think is deeply meaningful and strong. The road to the light is not easy, it looks closer than it actually is.