A nice dilemma we have here
That calls for all our wit, for all our wit . . .
- Gilbert & Sullivan, Trial by Jury
Sometimes it's good to take your watercolours and just experiment - particularly when you haven't used them for some time and need to loosen up. Last week I decided to re-interpret the two Venice paintings I made back in March, just going with the flow to see what happened. On two consecutive days, with Vivaldi's Gloria in the CD player (is there a more Venetian composer?) and the same Venetian glass colour palette as previously, I mixed up some thin washes.
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| the most exciting colours always end up in the brush water! © Teresa Newham |
I applied these to a block of Hahnemühle Andalucia paper with a wide brush . . .
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| Venice III initial washes © Teresa Newham |
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| Venice IV after the second set of washes © Teresa Newham |
Finally I added a gondolier, a misty bridge in the distance, and some shadows at the top and outer edges:
Venice III & IV
original watercolours © Teresa Newham
So I now have four paintings of Venice - two sets of two each! I'd like to exhibit a couple of them at Open Studios in September, but my dilemma is - which ones?
Hmmm, out of number 4 or 5 I like 4 best. There is something about the gondola and the pole my eyes seem to enjoy it more.
ReplyDeleteThanks! undecided whether to show the first set, this set, or one from each set . . .
DeleteI think I agree with Lynn-Marie. I slightly prefer the one with the gondolier going away. Perhaps it's something about the pole trailing in the water....However they're so magical and atmospheric it would be a shame not to exhibit both. Not much help I know!
ReplyDeleteVenice is an elusive subject . . . I'm not convinced I've said what I want to in any of the four paintings I've done so far!
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