Optical Illusions in Watercolours

What a wonderful session we had last week!  There were many projects going on, but first and formost our sujet du jour, 'Optical Illusions'; There are many types of that and we started with the 'simplest' version, the geometric shapes that suggest movement and depth. The difficulty is that you have to count and measure while painting and that somehow doesn't go very well together, but it still worked out very very well!! Enjoy the illusions with and without fingers (to make the illusion even clearer) 

Genevieve

Thecla

Corinne had time to paint two different and excellent versions

 and in the meantime also helped and gave tips to the others!

I gave it a try too and absolutely loved it, looking forward to the next project 😀

Martine went for another type of illusion - and true, it is impossible to see a big triangle - it is a road. 

And the golden sand... Love it!

Judith has not finished her OI yet - but whatever is happening here, it is interesting! And weird (in a good way) Looking forward to seeing it progress...

Sylvie worked so hard on this illusion! So difficult to make all these blue lines equal. And it paid off. Fantastic illusion of depth and height, with just a couple of blue lines

There were as always also other projects going on - and some of them are absolute master pieces!!
Portraits, a variation of still lives and more. A different chapter - but no less spectacular!

  
O my - what a fan-tas-tic, strong portrait by Judith. It is so well painted - yet in a way that shows the person the character, the firmness and the warmth. 

Everyone in our group and beyond is smitten with this girl!



couldn't be more different, but this portrait of Twiggy by Sylvie also does the job and sets your brain to work while it fills in the gaps. Brains are so good at that  😜

Sandra has been on a serious quest for the true Marilyn. She definitely managed to catch a sad and  vulnerable side, this portrait is so deep. Actually there is a quote just under her neck  saying: "It's all make-believe, isn't it". So Beautiful, Sandra. 💖

Anna Karin worked super hard and finished both projects! To start with the bottles, I am seriously impressed with how realistic they are. Despite Anna Karin's way of working with a big brush with fine point, the light (not painted - just the paper) is amazing. Awesome. And then below, the soft, matte, peaceful pebbles, all created in opera rose, indanthrene blue and raw sienna. And so lively and warm, it is a part of a beach that we all love so very much.

Another masterpiece - Martine's Gallé vase. So delicate and the light and the transparency and the reflection and the flower patterns make it - perfect. I think Emile would have loved it too.

Outside her 'starters' exercises in the Hangar, Anne practises at home with her own paints and her own watercolour paper and look what she created! Bravo!! Her blue lobster was inspired by Mathurin Meheut. He's a Breton impressionist artist, very well known in France - google his name to see his breathtaking work! Anne also worked on her exercise of background-Foreground-Details and that worked out very well too:




Sue is travelling at the moment but luckily she is having picnics that she can (speed-) paint... How about this amazing loose-style impression!

 

And last but by no means least, the watercolour Thelma started a couple of years ago, of the Sarlat market, is now officially finished. And it was worth the wait - what a beauty it is, buzzing with activity and with a delightful warm sun in it!