Transparent Green

Watercolour on paper, 33 x 43 cm

This piece was inspired by an exhibition poster of the Paul Klee show currently running at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I wanted to experiment with different intensities of green and combinations with yellow and orange. My piece is a lot less interesting that Paul Klee’s… I still like to look at it, as there are some interesting effects of depth resulting from painting transparent layers.

Transparent Blue

Collage on board, 38 x 50.5 cm

Staying with the theme of transparency, I experimented with tissue papers. I used light and dark blues in layers and was interested in the different nuances of blue I could achieve.

Still life (my desk)

Watercolour on paper, 33 x 43 cm

A monochrome study of the items on my desk. I used indigo pigment in layers to achieve darker values and partially overpainted them with white acrylics to bring back the lights. The aim was to simplify the values to dark, medium and light.

Christmas with cats at home (R)

Watercolour on paper, 22.5 x 30 cm

This motif was inspired by Natalie’s Armchair (November 2016). Originally I wanted to follow up the idea of a line drawing, but then my sketch developed into a tonal drawing which I subsequently coloured. I became hooked to depicting the tonal variations of the throw on the sofa. To me, the image captures the peaceful atmosphere at home with my cats for company.

Untitled (R)

Mixed Media on paper, 30.5 x 45.5

This collage is a response to Natalie’s Mariner (November 2016). My starting point were the metal sheetings behind the mariner and the little bolts that fixed them in place. I used craft paper which I folded and glued onto the support, then decorated the edges with dots so that it looked like a decorative seam on denim trousers. The stylized eyes are potato prints of white over black acrylic paint. My work process followed my intuition while I was trying to develop a lively abstract composition.

Farewell (My friend the pianist has died) (R)

Mixed media on board, 38 x 50.5 cm

Visually, the piece is a response to Natalie’s Jars (November 2016), as I started out with the idea of simple elements outlined before a dark background. It inspired me to use a sgraffito technique with oil pastels. While I was building up the layers, my mind wandered off to thoughts about a friend about whose death I just had found out. He played the piano very well and also worked as a piano technician and tuner. I’m so sad that he’s gone.