'Crashing Waves' & Winks in watercolours

It is Hot in the South of France and that's where we are! Painting with Watercolours helps us cope, especially when we have a cool subject... Amazing results already!! Not too many - the group gets smaller as we are in, or very close to the holiday season!

Crashing Wave by Vanessa! That's the power of nature in one painting. Fantastic.

Very impressive high waves by Sheila. It is really her subject! Great stuff.

Another one by Sheila, again spontaneous and although this was marked 'work in progress', when I see the photo I wonder if it isn't exactly right like this, what do you think?

And last but not least #1/3 by Sylvie who really needed this and, like Sheila, mainly worked with colours, achieving a gorgeous effect. More like this next week!!

We are also continuing with the Bottle & Brush (no news today) and with our eyes, one closed and one open. A good exercise, with a highlight, a round shiny shape, skin colour, shadows, darks and lights, you name it! And also input for the Expo- poster, announcing our Aquarellista Expo in 2019. (We're well in time 😜) Carol and Marie-Claire started with their opened eye:

 Marie-Claire is going to finish hers next time - but painted a good basic shape!!

 Carol's eye is so Cool! She may create a next version, as she thinks it may be a bit too much 'Comic Book'. Anyway, looking forward to her Wink!

 

I absolutely adore the eyes Avril painted!  I hope she sees this and is proud of herself 😊

Lydia already works like a master-Aquarellista (after 3 classes) and her eyes are stunning. The real ones as well as the painting!

Abstracts & Eyes and more - in watercolours

 Lydia has a great feel for watercolours, amazing this is only her second try...

As part of the getting 'acquainted with watercolours'- program, the starters group worked on an abstraction exercise. First doodle with pencil, colour all compartments without colours bleeding, wash the whole painting and then give it volume using light, shadow and patterns. Amazing, Picasso-like artwork happened last week! I am so happy with it!

 Avril also worked on the exercise and it is already showing real volume, look at those brown checkers and red stripes!

 

 Board member Cassie passed by last week and participated, and this time we used her experiment as a demo and to try stings out. Look how great it looks!

 Other subject: Eyes. Coming weeks we are painting our own eyes, as a preparation for our group expo in 2019... They will form a series and give a personal touch! Here are the first ones:

 Vanessa

 Brenda

 Marina

 Liz

 

 And of course the Bottle & Brush challenge continues! So many great versions - and it looks like we're going to create the perfect one someday soon!

 

Sylvie D. finished hers - and it is amazing!

 Carol did the first brushstrokes, it looks very good, with interesting, sharp white light light

Brenda gave her water a last wash and now it is done, she achieved a very special effect! Love it...

And last but not least, Cathie is experimenting with gesso and other textures. I think this cup is absolutely stunning!!

Balls Bags Bottles & Brushes! In Watercolours of course

Shona's fab spheres

We had a great session last week, with new and returning Aquarellistas -  and great stuff was achieved. But I also had a board meeting and it was very hot - and that's my excuse for not taking enough pictures!! I am sorry and will make it up to you next post. I can tell you that the above spheres by Shona are just gorgeous, but also Avril and Lydia created super cool ones, that I cannot show you now. Hopefully come later!  

They were joined by Cassie, and the 4 of them started the doodling-washing-voluming exercise, results in next post too 😝

There was a still life with straw baskets, that Marie-Claire and Vanessa worked on, with lovely result:

 

 Vanessa's Version

 Marie-Claire's... Not yet finished but it is going to be super! that scarf really adds something!

Michelle started a watercolour of a complicated and delicate flower and did a good job on the first brush strokes (her painting is much better than my photo of it).  Next time she will bring out the beautiful blue a bit more by changing the background...

And last but not least, we continued with the Bottle and Brush challenge! 

 Next new Aquarellista, Dee, started hers - and it's already a winner!

 Brenda continued with hers with fantastic progress! Will probably finish next week!

  Sylvie M. is contemplating a blue-green version and practiced a little bit on the bottle on the left. Love It!

And Vanessa tweaked hers while her still life was drying; Wonderful light version!