International Artist – June-July 2019

Watercolour Demonstration 103

you are using the characteristics of
the paper.  e choice of paper and its
surface can dramatically a ect the look
of a painting.
My philosophy toward painting is
simple—I try to capture the subject that
has inspired me, what identi es it, the
atmosphere and light. While I do not
impose myself on a subject, I try to
use selected elements of it to create a
de ning image of it. Technical aspects,
such as composition, colour, balance
and detailing, help me to achieve this
and help me give the painting focus.
I do not use photography because
I  nd it restrictive and I produce
better work while painting directly
from life.  ere are many bene ts
from working from life—it gives
you options regarding composition,
lighting and generally is better for
exploring and therefore understanding
the subject—it is also fun.

Every mark made in watercolour is

de nitive and watercolour works like

no other medium, it is a discipline.

Working from life is high risk—I love

it—there is nothing routine about

working in this way. Freshness is crucial

so the watercolour should sit on the

surface of the paper and not be muddied

by overworking. Watercolour is in many

ways counterintuitive in that it makes

intuitive sense that if I do more work on

a painting the better it gets—in fact in

watercolour quite the opposite is usually

true. It is crucial that each layer be put

Pezenas, watercolor, 10 x 12" (25 x 30 cm)

This combination of trees and architecture within a painting can work

very well. Winter trees are particularly eff ective as they do not hide the

architecture and can more easily incorporate into the design.

Windmill, Faugeres, watercolor, 11 x 15" (28 x 38 cm)
The strong lighting and sun were crucial aspects to this view. The form of the
mill worked very well while in silhouette. I had to work with simple and bold
washes that helped maintain clarity as the light was changing fast.

Moulin Cordier, Beziers,

watercolor, 15 x 22" (38 x 56 cm)

A water mill with refl ections will usually off er

an inspiring subject. The low light in this view

created a very moody atmosphere that I have

tried to capture very simply.