About my artworks on paper
I make many snapshots of flowers, trees and plants, and sketches using
those to create a personal impression of the natural beauty and not a realistic
image. For example, I like the photographic, interesting, abstract effects of
the wind when it moves branches and stalks. I love to work with paper because the specific characteristics I
cannot translate to other materials such as linen.
My technique allows fast
results and using a method that suits my temperament. That means I don’t like
to wait when paintingmaterials needs time to dry. I make use of high quality
paper like the 400 grams Hahnemühle - and the watercolor paper Fabriano. And
before I start my method I’m stretching the paper with tape therefore nearly no
wrinkles are visible when finishing my artworks.
Landscapes in the washed ink technique of the early 16thcentury Japanese
Hasegawa Tõhaku, a famous artist at his time and working at the court, I
discovered during artschool. Even now his ancient wall screens are having a
modern atmosphere. Besides the washed ink technique I was occupied by model
drawing and the dry-point etching method still visible in my varied especially
black lines.
The name
PASTELPAINTING is invented in the 18e century while famous artists made
portraits of the elite with pastels on paper similar and alike paintings.
Masters like the Italian Rosalba Carièrra and the French Maurice Quentin de La
Tour and at that time accepted as a serious method. Remembering the early
Renaissance period when Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo making their
sketches which are still in a good shape and are still fresh and very beautiful. Meaning that paper, when well preserved, can be
like canvas having a long lasting quality.
My Pastelpaintings are a mix of Eastern and Western techniques that yield
picturesque effects. I start with a charcoal of with pastels at a background
drawing on a piece of chucked paper. In this layer, while it is still wet, I
make scratches in some places, simply by using my nails. To some works, I add a
thin layer of white acryl paint. As a last phase, I apply pastel. This
technique features great density of color because it uses pure pigments. In
summary, the means I choose are minimal: ink, water, chalk, to which I
sometimes add a base layer of washed ink. Except for the base, for which I use
brushes, I draw as directly as possible with my hands, especially when I apply
the last pastel layers where I must use my fingers to achieve a delicate blend
of colors. The combination of this technique and the prepared background
results in strong-bodied, colorful pastels with a picturesque effect. I like
that.
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The wind and the Passion flowers, 120 x 160cm, 63 x 48 inches
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