Who is the fairest one of all? I used a portrait I did some years ago, I like her mystic expression, what is she thinking and musing about?
Magic mirror on the wall
face
Inspired by Hydrangeas
Of course I was inspired by all these wonderful colors of the Hydrangeas, as I am very sensitive to colors in my surroundings. I am often ask about my use of color, and not the colors I use but how I come to my choice of color. Well, I never think about what color to use, it’s some intuitive process while painting, I paint and my brush picks up the color I am leading to. No plan, and no complicated color scheme before I start. What I do is I use lots of water, I may even draw with water and then let the watercolor paint flow into those areas, wet in wet. Or I might do it afterwards, paint with the color and add some water while it’s still wet. Or I let the first layer dry completely and go in with my brush. My favorite colors to work with are phtalo blue, quinacridone violet, chrome orange, burnt umber, indigo, and opera rose. When blended with each other they make the most beautiful shades.
Light and shadow
Everything exists of shadow and light, sometimes it’s vibrant and full of color, sometimes colors are fading away. It doesn’t say anything about the quality, it’s just how it goes. Some things stay in the light, other disappear in the shadow, maybe for a little while to appear again. It’s a play, a play of shadow and light.
Making visible what's in my mind
Making visible what’s in my mind, at least trying to, is what I love. Here are a few watercolor sketches of emotions, thoughts and expressions. I don’t know where they come from and where they go, they pop up in my mind, just long enough to paint them. Then they make room for other images that keep me ‘busy’.
The soul behind the face
Reflection. This isn’t a self-portrait, and yet it is, this isn’t me and yet it is. I believe that in everything we create we put a lot of ourselves, and so it is with portraits. Maybe not always visible, it might be hidden behind the eyes. We all have many different faces, a child, a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, artist, collector, lover of life, wanderer, dreamer, friend, perfectionist… Only to name a few. And all these faces expose, and sometimes hide, their own emotions, which makes us who we are, isn’t that intriguing! I love making portraits, wondering and trying to express what’s behind the face.
I have never been aware before how many faces there are. There are quantities of human beings, but there are many more faces, for each person has several. ~Rainer Maria Rilke