In the polder near Groot-Ammers (Netherlands)

 Our amateur art association 'Goed Gezien-Goed Bekeken' does not only  have monthly challenges, in the summer months there is also a plein air painting day. This time we were in Groot-Ammers, in the garden of one of our members and we were encouraged to find inspiration either in that beautiful garden or in the surrounding landscape. 

The surrounding landscape has the river Lek, the 'Ammerse Kaai' and a small road between two large ditches, a 'Tiendweg'. At one point along that 'Tiendweg' we (one of my fellow members of the association and me) had a great view over the polder landscape, dark clouds and some smaller ditches and we decided to paint that view. My friend used oil paint and I used my watercolours.

After we had set up and made our first sketches and painted the sky it started to rain. Not much, but enough to decide to return to the garden, where we could find shelter. Of course there was no more rain that afternoon, but we had the information we needed to paint on and so we did.

As that little old bridge was the inspiration for the painting, it had to be at a 'good' place in the composition, so I positioned the bridge where I wanted it to be and added the rest of the landscape around it. Despite the dark clouds above there was a lot of light coming from behind us so the bridge had a nice dark reflection in the water. The old fence in the foreground was included in the composition as there was a lot of grassland without much structure or details. The fence and the flowers were really there but I left them out at first, waiting for the results before I decided to add both fence and flowers. The painting needed this addition so I made it.

The result is what I hoped it would be and it is better than I expected especially after the rain had started.

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

Ash tree - a charcoal drawing

Our day of Plein Air painting - with members of 'Goed Gezien - Goed Bekeken' - was longer than just that one watercolour in my previous post. Not long enough for two watercolours though so I made a charcoal drawing.
Again no architecture, but the tree that was close by the spot where I had been painting my watercolour painting.

This ash tree was very close to the water, in the foreground are the reed plants that were in the small ditch, still little as it is springtime now.
I did like to draw the way the tree almost took over the edge of the water and made sure there always will be water at its roots. In nearby ditches there were more ash trees that had done the same; the edge of the land has almost disappeared and the tree grows into the water.
I have been looking in books for more information - and to make sure what kind of tree I had been drawing - and this really is the way these trees survive in the relatively open landscape that is found in our 'polder' (there is no translation for this, sorry).

More information about this drawing (materials used, size, availability, etc) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

Near Meerkerk

The weather is great again for painting outdoors, so I was happy that the amateur art association 'Goed Gezien - Goed Bekeken' has planned some of these outings together.
The first day was planned in the village of Meerkerk, where we were guests on the property of our chairwoman. She lives in an old farmhouse and has a nice piece of land around it where we all could find a great spot with an inspiring view.

At first I thought I would try to paint some architecture, the old farmhouse would probably inspire me. Well, I saw this view and never thought of painting farms again.

Standing on the edge of some grassland I chose the view of the water tower of Meerkerk and a row of pollard willows in front of the tower.
The air was a bit misty, filled with dust and pollen so the objects in the distance - like the  background trees and the water tower behind them - were already looking a bit blurred. The pollard willows were much closer to where I was standing, there are some fields of grass between them and the background trees.

These rows of pollard willows are very common in the landscape of the area where I live and I really must remember sometimes that I have to paint these as well, because they grow mostly in 'our' river delta landscape between the rivers Lek, Merwede and Maas (Meuse).

For this painting I chose a small size paper, mostly because I feel more comfortable with that when I am painting outdoor and have to choose my subject on the spot.

More information about this watercolour painting (materials used, size, availability, contact information, etc) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

Alblasserwaard, a quick Conté Pencil drawing

We had a great afternoon, painting in 'Natuur- en Vogelwacht Alblasserwaard' with members of 'Goed Gezien - Goed Bekeken'.
After I had finished my watercolour painting there was time left for another impression of the area. I did change my point of view just a little bit for more inspiration. This time I chose to make a Conté Pencil drawing.

The pollard willows are a feature of this part of The Netherlands so I just had to draw them.
These are relatively young, the area was designed and planted less than twenty years ago and is maintained beautifully and with a lot of love since then.
The pollard willow is for harvesting the young branches, they are left to grow for three or four years and then cut off. The trunk of the tree does not grow higher than a man's length or a bit less and will grow into twisted shapes, characteristic for the tree.
The harvested branches are used for many purposes such as fences, wood walls, weaving baskets and many more.

Drawing with the Conté Sketching pencils is one of the things I am still exploring. I did like doing this drawing and I have learned a bit more about my materials - and that was what I wanted.

More information can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

Plein Air painting in the Alblasserwaard

Another day of painting together with members of 'Goed Gezien - Goed Bekeken', the amateur art club that is active in the area where I live.
This time we were close to my home, in the 'Natuur- en Vogelwacht Alblasserwaard'.
We had a nice walk on the grounds and were given a lot of information about the gardens of the Natuur- en Vogelwacht. This is an educational garden with information for adults and children about the area of the Alblasserwaard.

After that and after our lunch we looked for a shaded spot to paint. 
We were standing under some trees. looking on the canal and the fields behind it. That really is a nice spot to paint and we all enjoyed it.

As I had forgotten to stretch my paper, I taped the edges only and I like the result of that action. It looks like the old photo edges we used to add our photographs to an album.

This is not a large size painting, the temperatures are still high and paper and paint would dry too quickly on a large sheet to make the soft edges I like to paint.

More information about this painting can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

On the beach!

This painting has a story that is unlike the other ones.
This one started as a submission for a contest with a 'Summer' theme. 
I adapted a scene I had sketched and painted last year and made it an impression of 'Plein Air' painting on the beach. The location is Hoek van Holland (Netherlands) very close to the Pier - where swimming is strictly forbidden.
Of course I did not have much chance in that contest and I forgot to publish the painting afterwards.

This month is WorldWatercolourMonth and I have promised myself to make the most of that, trying to use the prompts given as much as possible. 
The last week has been full of other things so I have decided to publish this little painting using the prompt "on the Beach" as its new title.

Even though I knew I did not have much chance in the contest I made this painting for, I enjoyed the challenge of adapting a sketch by adding a field easel with a watercolour painting in progress. This was sketched from memory and added in a nice spot in the original sketch. This was painted using the colours I had used in the original painting and some extra for the easel, the board and the 'painting in progress' on that board.

Sketching and drawing from memory - without a model in front of me - is something for which I did not have enough confidence in the recent past, but this exercise has given me a pleasant surprise.

More information (size, materials used, availability, contact information) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com