The Aquarellistas - the watercolour group of the Hangar

On Tuesdays, from 2pm - 4.30 pm the Hangar is a very zen place: it is warm and cosy, there is music, there is herb tea, chatting and laughing - but also deep concentration. A watercolour is different from other painting techniques - we work on paper, with the transparent and watery paint, and we work fast and spontaneous. Usually we spend 1 afternoon on a subject and then most of us are finished!

And then sometimes we do research or an experiment. Like last week, when we dived in the subject of "Short Curly Hair". It was inspired by the front page of the magazine l'Art de l'Aquarelle:

 Front Page painting by Dylan Scott Pierce

The assignment was meant to experiment and try out what would work best to create the illusion of curly hair... The idea was not to create a beautiful picture or a deep statement. It was practicing hair, with a face underneath to explain what it is meant to be... But of course you can't suppress talent - and as you can see, most of the curls are totally believable!

Michele

Andrée

 by Linda
( pupils to be added and lips to be defined but curls are good!)

 True research! by Sue

 Edith is still working on this portrait. mainly with a fine brush. Amazing character!!

 Agnès used a combination of wet-in-wet and palet knife to achieve this breathtaking painting!!

 Carol worked on this serious boy. What a character... Is he anxious about something?

Yes! This painting is now finished and telling a story! You can check it out from 29 January in the Quel Cirque Exhibition in Valbonne (more about that very soon!)

See http://www.aquarellista.blogspot.fr/ for more info about the project itself!

Aquarelle - Tuesdays from 2 - 4.30 with Marina

 Harp by Brenda Moorhouse

In preparation for the Aquarellista 'Eye Candy' exhibition, everyone is going 'beautiful'.
Which is a challenge in a way - yet gives such pleasing results...

Both violins by Edith Alborni

Poppies by Sandra

'Blood red cherries' by Sandra

 Both 'Marbles' by Liz

Linda worked hard and smart on the 'spheres' exercise

'Syphon' a delicate transparent by Patience

an intriguing play with shadows in the desert, by Costanza

Avril is almost done with her icon, painted with self made tempera - and she is now an expert in adding gold leaf! Final tweaking next week...

Aquarelle - Tuesdays from 2 - 4.30pm with Marina

Bev has been working on a dark interior with a window - the light coming from outside. In this stage, the background is still light, but the picture is quite strong already!!

Theme for last Tuesdays' Aquarelle session was 'overgrown with ivy'. No one finished yet, but Bev and Brenda's work is already so interesting I really want you to see it. It will completely change next session!

 Brenda's painting of an overgrown place - this will change enormously in the next version - there will be lots of contrast, and probably accents in feltpen. Can't wait to see the result!

  Avril's Walasse Ting-cat, now finished. I love it, the personality of the cat and the clear lines, typical for Avril's style

Cathie is working on an important commission. So fragile and interesting.

(The Hangar blog will of course have the scoop on this later - watch this space!!)

 A fa-bu-lous wave by Edith. The colours are stunning and it is so transparent!!

 Edith also started on a new picture - at this point it is still quite abstract, but already very strong and interesting!

 Linda has the Hangar watercolourbook now and will go through the exercises. Here's her 'washing' result, that went really well - now on to the 'Volume'!

 Liz started with an eye candy painting! Not finished - expect stunning sharp shadows and admire the bright'n happy colours that are already there!!

 

This is another strangely interesting painting by Patience, with lots of pigment and it triggers a lot. It has words, like 'Marie-Josephine' and 'Limoncello'  and dates, and hearts and more in it. 

Click to enlarge and enjoy more!

 Sandra worked on two brilliant paintings. Above a bout of bad weather coming up. Thunder and lightning coming this way. Donker. Below the fragile tulips and a beautiful patterned 'curtain'. It is almost finished and the thing is to keep the delicacy!

And I sign off with: I am so proud of you!

Aquarelle class of 9 June: tempera and aquarelle with Cathie & Bev!

Another tempera afternoon - without yours truly, but that didn't matter, because Cathie was there, and Bev. They made sure everyone had the zen afternoon they needed. Below some pictures of what was achieved:

Brenda is back! She tried out the tempera and after scrapping back a lot of colour  created this impressive Iris! 

 Sandra worked in aquarelle, on these tulips, with a very interesting masked curtain.   

 Bev worked with tempera to paint these eggs, on a  home-prepared gesso surface. She found it an enjoyable challenge.

 Patience no.1 Using tempera and gouache.    

 Patience no. 2 tempera and gouache

 Patience no 3 - this picture has a story - about a wall between two souls

Lindas came for the very first time and created her first watercolours and to quote Cathie: WOW! How good is this?? Looking forward to working with you Linda!

  Edith started a new watercolour wave.     

And almost finished her panda. 

She used tempera & pigment for the trunk and added a bit stronger green.

Looking very good!! 

Another fabulous still life with brushes by Cathie.

 and always interesting: Linda's exercise in colour mixing.  

And way way far away in England, Agnès was thinking of us and creating a fabulous Renaissance portrait - with a doodle twist:

Cat and Beverly thank you both so very much for being there and taking over when I couldn't be there, so that we could have continuity! I deeply appreciate it and by the look of it the group has loved it too!