Monday 25 March 2024

the Beauty of Fossils expressed in Watercolours


Last session the Aquarellistas got together, we embarked on the challenge of painting 'Fossils'. I thought it would be quite a challenge, with all these subtle lines, shadows and shades of brown. And it was - but these great painters all did a fantastic job and created super cool images, that you recognise immediately. I am in awe. Here they are in no particular order...


Anne loved it so much she would still be working on it if we hadn't stopped her 😃 but joking aside, what a marvellous fossil this is!


This is a more impressionist version by Martine who was tempted to paint seashells We will paint them soon, promised - and this shell has that thing where you can't see if it is concave or convex...


Elisabeth painted hers with a daring use of dark sepia - and it works so well, this ammonite looks like a true find, fabulous.


Glen took the fossile subject to work a bit more with her new favourite addition to paint - salt! And see what the stunning effect is! The shadows do a lot too by the way... Breathtaking, well done.




WIP  for the Hangar expo by Sandra, Couleur Locale at its best, with sea, beach and more to come. Looking forward to seeing the next chapter!


Also WIP, also for the Hangar Expo, this Koi carp by Sylvie. It will have a lot of Mediterranean blue, combined with its complementary colour orange. Stunning.


After she finished the fossil , Elisabeth still had time to start a seahors, she missed that last week. Backgound  wet-in-wet, done, and now the horse. More next week.


Charlie also missed the Seahorse painting, and next to her work on the 50x50 canvas for the Hangar exhibition, she painted this bright fellow. This is an excellent example of how complementary colours make each other stronger - the blue and orange look absolutely amazing


And then there's Judith, showing her two different talents - one for portraits in pastel and then one for uninhibited experimenting. Both works are 'in progress', maybe you are already thinking what it will become (like I am right now) but rest assured, it will be different
😉








 

Monday 18 March 2024

Seahorses and other fab subjects in Watercolours

 Last week we got together with only a small group of Aquarellistas and we had a fabulous time, not only filled with painting, but also talking deeply, humming, eating cake and drinking ginger tea. It was so rewarding - and look what we created...


Michèle was there in spirit and created this fabulous seahorse ('Hippocampe' in French, love that word)


And how about this one, by Anna, so so cute. Technically well done also! with the light and the on-going background...


Anne's Hippocampe, what a beautiful guy.
 
He has a big belly so I guess he is about to give birth (as male seahorses do.


O and same for Thecla, well done with the fabulous background, the light and the beautiful transparent fin on her back


Next to the seahorse Anna also created an amazing birch tree painting, with such a good background!


Brenda, who is only here for a couple of days (but she will return in May!) painted the same subject, Different style but equally wonderful!


Sandra has finished the first Couleur Locale painting, for the Expo Project. The size is 50x50cm, pretty big for a watercolour, but this image stays interesting all over.


Thecla has worked on her natural sand-sculpture and it is now so interesting and surprising, the strong sharp shadows work really well.


And last but not least, the portraits of birds that Anne created at home, all by her lonesome. The winking owl and the slightly insecure peacock - they have lcharacter, well done!


Monday 11 March 2024

Beautiful Origami - in watercolours

 For last Tuesday in the Hangar I suggested 'Origami', the beautifully folded paper, in geometric forms, not everybody's piece of cake! But the heroes who tried had such wonderful result! Not hard and mathematical, but tender and poetic! And technically great, with depth and volume:


The first wonderful example is created by Elisabeth. It is a folded piece of paper, but it has such a very real, light quality to it! Very good.


That also goes for Charlie's paper star. Volume, 50 shades of white and both mystery and poetry.


Anna Karin has a different approach, these geometric shapes somehow remind me of her baby dragon of a couple of weeks ago. That was perfectly round and had pointy shapes
😀 but still. It must be the colours she used, they are similar


Charlie tweaked last weeks' blossoms and they are now really convincing. You can almost smell it has rained, very good atmosphere



Amazing White Cliffs of Dover by Elisabeth. Fantastically done with the white that is not white! Love it.



Anna painted the favourite bird of her husband - the King Fisher. How lucky he is!

Martine's four cute birds on two tree trunks, very well done. But that background! Amazing. (I shouldn't be surpriseded because she pulled it off with the Dali painting as well, she's just really good with red!)


Sylvie's flowers now finished and they are fabulous. We discussed how funny it is that because their movement they make the impression of being in the Deep Sea, although there is no blue in this painting. Good stuff!


Thecla started a project with beautiful abstract shapes in nature. There is more shadow needed to show what's there and to balance the composition, but it looks promising and the subject is so good! I am going to steal it soon, with fossils, Thank yoy Thecla!


And Anna Karin all but finished her stones. She wants to add some yellow or ochre to the background for better balance, although right now it is a moment in time where you see the pebbles falling. But that's my opinion and she is the artist!


And Judith has worked all afternoon on a  portrait in pastel. It is very challenging as the boy has black-rimmed glasses that should not be too dominant. But so far so good, I have all the confidence that she will 'do it again'. More in 2 weeks as she is travelling now!




Monday 4 March 2024

White that is not really white - in Watercolours

Last Tuesday I was otherwise occupied and Cool Co-teacher Cathie took over. She is popular for a reason, look at the fabulous paintings everyone created! Here's her report:

After Anna Karin showed what happens when you use salt, Glen made this landscape & did an experiment with salt that she will take home & make into an Easter egg theme. After Anna Karin's demo she also experimented with salt eggs!





Charlie chose a difficult subject but is doing a great job with these wet in wet flowers.


Elizabeth used salt to create the snow on the right. 2nd one is WIP




Ann painted flowers. Beautiful but think she could go darker with the background


Martine did a lovely candle from a book she brought which is all about white as a subject, She also did a a quick experiment with salt at the end.




Anna Karin did a salt experiment with rocks. Impressive. WIP


Sylvie, quick as always was creating colour & movement with this bright & breezy floral.WIP


Laura started painting this pretty blue bird & taken it home to finish.


Also inspired by birds was Barbara, our 'correspondent from the UK' - well done Barbara!






Judith was experimenting with new surfaces & subjects for upcoming expo.
She had also worked on her dog commission.




Sue has started with free and loose style drafts in the theme of the upcoming Hangar Exhibition 'Couleur Locale'



Monday 26 February 2024

Painting birds in aquarelle

Last session we painted birds in a loose style. We were with a small group so I finally had time to clean those dirty palettes (what a sense of achievement!) and in the meantime wonderful birds were created. And then some other excellent paintings! As I am busy packing and cleaning for a trip to Amsterdam,  the comments on the watercolours won't be too long. But does that matter? No of course not, you'll see and admire for yourself!


Thecla's super cute little fellow. Of course she is good at the loose style!


Elisabeth our newest Aquarellista is also very good at the looseness! Both above and below are hers



And need I say more - Charlie's birdie is amazing, so spontaneous. 
She did this in no time and that's exactly what works!


Anne had time for 2 birds, the above is like a statement, I love the graphic character, and below a crazy rooster, who turns his bum to us... funny -and well done!



Two more Charlies, above a super-spontaneous flower field (she was clearly in the mood) and she tweaked the Mimosa a bit. It is now perfect. I am impressed.




Thecla experimented a bit further with paint and watercolour pencils. Lots happening here! To be continued.


Anne's Elephant now 100% finished, It is so well done!


Judith created 2 wild abstracts - and finished 2 pastel drawings. One of her youngest when he was 10 and I can tell you it is spot on - and one of Gaia, her lovely dog who is no longer around 😘


There was also a great golden dragon by Laura, but she left a bit earlier and I didn't take a picture... Hopefully next time!