Tuesday, September 23, 2008

IMAGINARY LANDSCAPE - Playing with colour, lines, light and shapes

While working on the finalization of three textile pieces for an art-exhibition October at the place where my husband works, I try to approach watercolour in another way.

I realize that I miss doing nude studies. When I lived in Germany, I met with a group of women each Wednesday and we took turns in "sitting" for the others or sometimes we hired a model too. We mostly worked with water-colours but also with pencil, charcoal, gouache. It was great cause we were free to approach the work in whatever way we wanted, in a very intimate atmosphere. I did that for about 2 years, then I moved to France.

In France I only took up nude studies again when I went to art-school 4 years ago, where we had the opportunity to work in various techniques and sizes with very talented teachers who gave us precious insight.

Waiting for the right moment to look for a nude-study course or to find a model, I see these imaginary landscapes, with soft curves, inspiring human shapes...

Imaginary Landscape III
Watercolour and ink - 21 x 29.7 cm (8.25 x 12 IN)



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14 comments:

sukipoet said...

Andrea, this is beautiful. I love the blurry quality of the paint. The sense of someone lying under the blue sky or by the water. What a wonderful group you had in Germany!! The ambition and intimacy of the group must have made for special friends and frienships.

I too love painting/drawing the human form. I have not been to a life drawing class though since college. I learned so much by doing that practice consistently.

Unknown said...

Suki, thanks and oh, are you back from your trip to the ocean?
And you are so right, it was great to be in that group and to paint with friends, and like you I think that one learns tons of things when practising to draw the human form! Sometimes it can be very frustrating, and the next moment amazing:)
love
Andrea

Andrea and Kim said...

Andrea, this is truly beautiful. I love the combination of free-flowing watercolors and ink. And finding those curves of the human body is really fabulous.

You are so busy...I suppose I didn't realize you have two exhibits this autumn...in two countries! Wow! Now how exciting is that?

Do you think you will be doing more of this type of watercolors?

As always wonderful!

Unknown said...

Kim thanks so much! Yes I will do more of those, cause I would like to get in another sphere with those watercolours, they are obsessing me:) And the exhibition, this came up only a couple (or three?) weeks ago, when JL told me that in his company they do this exhibition with works of the staff or their family being artists, and so we thought oh that's nice, another occasion to show my work. It is not public, I think, and it happens inside the company, but there are 2000 people or so working there, so it is worth the effort to hang something there.
It will be three pieces, (two spiritpockets and one mask) only one is finished...but as always, pressure sometimes brings more creativity, at least I count on it, right now (and also gives me the opportunity to finish these things for November in Germany , love
Andrea

Lynn Cohen said...

It must be because I just came here from Suki's latest post of scenes from the beach but saw immediately ocean waves on the top blues of this painting and sand on the bottom rust colors. And now I see the woman on the bottom as well.

I imagine the art group of women sharing their bodies as models as a wonderful sisterhood of art and artists gathering together. How I would have loved to see what came out of that period of yours and theirs.

Unknown said...

Lynn, I wish I had some of these paintings to share with you, but they are all I don't know where. Some hang somewhere cause I sold some, some are at my parent's house and some disintegrated:) with all those moves I've done in the last 10 - 15 years...

Wurzerl said...

Hach, jetzt weiß ich, was ich nächstes Jahr brauche, wenn ich mein Wohnzimmer völlig neu mache!!!
Solche Bilder von Dir! Wirst Du solche in Marburg auch haben??? Egal, ich komme lieber nach Paris und suche sie mir bei Dir aus, dann habe ich einen Grund, endlich diese Stadt zu besuchen! Andrea, male, was das Zeug hält! Ich bin wieder fit, ich arbeite auch wieder, Du weißt schon an was, schicke bald Nachschub!
Ganz liebe Grüße Wurzerl

Anonymous said...

Imagination........... todays theme. I love it how you see the human curve in a landscape.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Ah yes. I can see the ocean in this piece to and the human form. Interesting painting. Your paintings always have a bit of intrigue in them. Which is why they are so interesting. Lovely colors too.
how fun to be in exhibts all over the place. My Dad used to say.. If it weren't for the last minute nothing would get done... Thats about true too. LOL

marianne said...

great landscape beautifully done.
I admire you for this ! You are such an all round artist!

Peter J. Crowley said...

Just wonderful use of color and form to create an imaginary landscape. I love it. enjoy pjc

patti said...

Just beautiful Andrea!

I love the human form also and models are hard to come by. You were very lucky to have such a group & I hope you are able to find something similar in Paris.

Cathie said...

I could recognize one of your watercolor paintings even if it was amongst 1000 others. They have your distinct "signature" style -- which has grown so familiar to me. I do love every brush stroke.

Makes me want to dust off the paper, grab a bucket of water and paint something -- which I have not done in quite some time. Maybe - just maybe :)

And what Suki said is so true - consistent practice -- is the best teacher. So practice I WILL.

XO
XO

Chris Bolmeier said...

I love imaginary landscapes as you can tell from all of my landscapes.
take care,
Chris