Saturday, September 5, 2009

The paintings are so much more beautiful in my mind...

If only what I paint in my mind could instantly appear on my watercolor paper! When I wake up in the morning before getting up to go to work, I plan my next painting...or my next 10 painting:-). The colors are vivid, the brush strokes are perfect, the light and shadows offer the perfect contrast and some small detail becomes fascinating.  Then the images fade but I keep a vague memory of this beauty for the rest of the day. For me, a big part of painting, of creative expression, probably lies in these inner visions that give me the nner peace and harmony that carry me through my other activities.

 Today is Saturday of a long weekend. If I can put on paper even 1% of what I imagined in those early dawn mornings this week, then, as an artist, I will be content. The brushstrokes won't be as masterful s they were in my imagination, the light and shadows will be elusive, the details may be too blurred. But, for me,  the journey is to be appreciated as much as the destination or the finished painting.

Below is an original watercolor painting that I saw in my mind many times before it appeared on the  paper.
It is from my “Memories of Venice” series and is the timeless scene that greeted me every morning from my hotel window during my trip to Venice last spring. Venetian sunshine on crumbling roof tiles…an attic door with cracks that let the pigeons in…I simply had to paint it as a reminder of the many different, but all beautiful,  faces of this wonderful city.

Original watercolor painting by Christiane Kingsley.
Arches paper 140 lb;
W&N watercolor paints.
Happy long weekend to all!
Christiane

Art cards and prints available on my Red Bubble

8 comments:

  1. hey christiane,,, your thoughts are turninto wonderfu paintings.. love the way you let the colors just blend together, and let the watercolor "do its thing"... hope your weekend is full of splashing paint and lots of fun!!

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  2. Thank you very much Cindi. I am off to let the paint "do its thing"... a three-day weekend, what a treat!

    Take care and my best wishes to you also.
    Christiane

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  3. Christiane, I really like your use of color and the wonderful perspectives and unique views you choose to paint. Lovely!

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  4. Boy Christiane I thought I only had those thoughts of creating beautiful paintings. I agree one a week for be great. You have beautiful colors in this scene. I like your composition and the whites you left. Glad you enjoyed Venice.

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  5. Nora, I think that the sharing of our thoughts about the creative process is one of the great value of blogging...Too often, otherwise, we focus in showing off the finished product and hide all our incertainties and vulnerability.
    Take care!

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  6. ”Venetian sunshine on crumbling roof tiles…an attic door with cracks that let the pigeons in” you have painted a wonderful word picture here and a beautiful watercolour to go along with it.
    Your thoughts Christiane echo mine ”The brushstrokes won't be as masterful as they were in my imagination, the light and shadows will be elusive, the details may be too blurred. But, for me, the journey is to be appreciated as much as the destination or the finished painting.”
    I’m glad you started this blog!
    Have a great long weekend.. I hope you have spent it doing what you love!

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  7. Perugina, thank you for stopping by again. I truly appreciate your support.

    Dayana, I am so glad that you have found my blog and that you are enjoying it. Oh! that puts more pressure on me to come up with something worth reading :-) I do hope that you will visit often and will leave comments.

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