Connection! - for a contest

 

This time I did not paint for a monthly challenge, but for a contest by 'Goed Gezien - Goed Bekeken'. The contest is mostly for those that like or need to work more than a month (the time for the challenges) to complete a work and last year was the first one. I did not compete last year and did not plan to do so this year but after a conversation with one of the other members made this work.

The theme is 'connection' and I really thought that I would not find inspiration for that theme.

In a forest the trees are all connected by their root system and the fungal threads in the ground. So a forest and some mushrooms (the fruits of the fungi) are a good start. 

Then, something special had to be added. Thinking back to the kind of work I made during my painting vacation it had to be a bit alienating or at least strange.

An old fashioned telephone - a very antique model - would do the trick, with the cable leading into the ground to make the connection. The listening device is off the hook, so connection is made.

The information about the materials I have used, the size and availability of this work and - if you are interested in my original artworks - my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Tree roots - for a contest

 

After seeing the new colours launched in the Revival Collection I wanted to have at least three or four of them so I bought them.

A few months later the contest was announced and I wanted to join as soon as I saw the criteria. This is my second entry.

For this painting I have used only two colours and a reference picture I made over a year ago - but was not used yet.

Two years ago I used the time of my painting vacation to gain confidence and a bit of experience in painting these tree roots that show up above the sand paths in our nature and I have used the same method I used then.

So first a charcoal study - in this case two studies - to get the composition right.

I was not happy with the first study so I made a second one that looked better. This charcoal drawing was close by when I made the watercolour painting as my reference for the composition, the contrasts and the smaller shapes between the tree roots.

Of course the final painting is not an exact copy of the study but I never expected that to happen. Charcoal is not the finest material for drawing (no sharp points for more than one stroke) and I do have some nice small brushes for the finer paintwork - which I used of course.

The painting is submitted for the contest.

The information about the materials I have used, the size of the painting and both studies, their availability and my contact information in case you are interested in my original artworks can all be found in my Tumblr blog.

Norddeich, dark clouds - for a contest

 

When the new Revival Collection watercolours were announced, I got a bit greedy and bought as soon as possible the four colours I liked best. There are eight colours, so I could have done 'worse'. The colours were waiting a few weeks for me to gather courage to try them and here is my first painting using them.

The reason I painted this work is mostly because I wanted to submit it to the 2025 European Watercolour Contest that is restricted to the use of these special colours (and a graphite pencil for the initial sketch).

Finding out how to work with four new colours proved to be  a challenge but the result is really nice. The grey and ash colours are much lighter than I thought so I had to add the purple and orange for darkness. While doing so I was changing the atmosphere of the painting from a very dark one to a much lighter one, a result that was unexpected but not unwelcome.

The reference picture for this one was made last winter in Norddeich and I had used it before in a charcoal drawing setting the horizon a bit higher to show more of the water.

The information about the materials I have used, the size of this watercolour painting, its availability and my contact information can all be found in my Tumblr blog.