Welcome to Polly's Blog

Welcome to Polly's Blog
Watercolour, humour, this and that

Tuesday 15 October 2013

HAZEL SOAN COURSE ITALY 2

Second part of the paintings done in Hazel Soan's style, this time on the second part of the course, in rainy Lake Garda.  It was interesting to see how Hazel dealt with the considerably difficult conditions, rain, mist, damp and even deluge!!  We even had workshops on the covered terrace at the front of the hotel overlooking Lake Garda because there would have been no shelter in the little town. Not  indoors, in the damp outside.  Virtually impossible, but great for wet in wet and slow drying time (hairdryer needed really)

Eeek flowers! Done on a wet balcony, with Hazel's guidance.  Exercise in light against dark or to be posh, counterchange. Colours used Quinacradone Red/Permanent Rose/ adding ultra for shadows. Greens were sap green and ultra and darkened with burnt umber. The pot was raw umber. Hills were to be soft and wafty (Hazel's words) very technical.

Another balcony painting. Clouds floating between the hills.  Hard top and soft at the base.  Hazel asked us to bring a new colour, to me, transparent turquoise, really for the water on  sunny days.  You will notice this colour more on the second painting of the hills.  Here sap green was also used and perm rose to grey the mix. 


The above two panoramic paintings were our own choice of colours.  And Hazel suggested we checked out each others to see which versions we liked.  The top one is predominantly yellow ochre or was it Indian yellow, I can't remember and winsor violet.  The second aureolin, prussian and alizarin.

This is definitely the transparent turquoise (winsor and newton)  and I stress here, Very Staining and Very Intense.  In fact very difficult to work with, there is no going back! Don't think I will be keeping this in my bag of colours. It is a beautiful colour though.  This painting did not dry until I took it to my room.  The paper didn't cockle as both sides were damp with the moist air.  Mainly Turquoise and Permanent Rose and Sap Green.  Waves were done with white.

Here endeth the paintings done with Hazel's influence.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing them and can try and appreciate the conditions they were painted in.  The next tranche will be the work I did in the afternoons and some of my personal sketches, done in my khadi pad.


37 comments:

  1. Wow you have been busy. I had a month off from art/blogging etc but then got trapped nerve/frozen shoulder and .... MAN FLU! So gradually feeling more human and catching up with missed Blogposts. What a lovely time you've had with the various courses and styles. I especially like the wild animals you painted (without drawing) BRILL!

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    1. Your poor thing. While I have been having a good time you have been proper poorly. I've had frozen shoulder, and the physio put it down to computer! And it's very paintful and awkward, and then to get Man Flu too, oh you poor soul.

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  2. I have enjoyed reading your lovely post with the nice paintings. I guess you had a great time there!

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  3. Thank you. I really enjoyed the course despite the rain and cold. Hazel is so inspiring.

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  4. loved reading this and especially about the colours used!!! love the pot and flowers////and the panorama colours are great especially the bottom one.and dont know that turquiose colour but it looks quite stunning!! val anonymous!!

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    1. Hello Val Anonymous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for visiting me this morning, and glad you like the paintings

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  5. I understand that the course was very challenging in many ways, (no hairdrier..), but you have done many greats works to be proud of. I am very happy to read your adventure and admire your watercolors.

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    1. Thank you Rita. I loved the part of Italy we went to and perhaps the colours were richer because it was so damp. Loooove the hot chocolate, I drank it with a spoon. So thick

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  6. Am so impressed by the paintings you produced Polly... students don't always manage such good work while they are at workshops so although I'm sure some of it is down to the wonderful teacher the rest is down to you, and you seem to have risen to the challenge superbly!!

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    1. How kind of you Judith. I love a challenge and Hazel's work is harder than it appears.

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  7. oh more Hazel fun in one of my favorite vacation spots in Italy....wonderful work!

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    1. Thank you Cynthia. Will pop over to your blog to see what you are up to

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  8. So many lovely paintings Polly, the weather didnt dampen your inspiration

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  9. Some lovely watercolors here, and my favorite is definitely your flowers , you do them so well even though they don't seem to be your favorite subject :-)

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    1. Good example to follow, Hazel, but I still had to do some splattering!

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  10. O, my gosh, Polly! These paintings are lovely--and to have gone to Italy to paint them, even more lovely. Keep it up, art friend!

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  11. Wow, to paint such conditions. I always use the slightest excuse not to paint outside. In your case, you had no choice and this experience must have given you lots of confidence that you can paint anywhere. The still-life with the vase is gorgeous and i like very much these looser landscapes.

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    1. Thank you. It was interesting to see how Hazel struggled with the conditions, but always had a solution.

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  12. Good job you had excellent views from the balcony!

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  13. Amazing what you were able to do in the dampness! That is so hard when the paper never dries. Each of these is lovely, although I love the flowers on the balcony and the first panorama best...although I like the softness of the last one too. Nice job!

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  14. all of these paintings are great!

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  15. Quelle grande chance tu as de pouvoir peindre avec cette grande Artiste qu'est Hazel soan. Ton travail est très réussi, tu as vraiment su tirer parti de son enseignement;

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    1. Merci Christine. C'est un privilege travailler avec Hazel! Elle est une bonne artiste et professeur !

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  16. Wonderful job! I love all of them.. Hugs

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  17. These are really impressive paintings, Polly! I think my favourite is the one with the clouds below the mountains; or maybe the balcony painting? They're all really good, so hard to choose! I am sorry to hear the weather was so terrible, but learning how to deal with it must have been worthwhile. x

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    1. Thank you Elisabeth for commenting, and yes the conditions were very trying, but still fun

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  18. Polly - your paintings are exquisite - my favorite was the top panoramic (your choice of colors which is really stunning). It looks like you really had a great learning session. Hope you have a great week-end.

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    1. Thank you for commenting Debbie. It was great to do landscapes in particular. Have a lovely weekend too.

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  19. Hello Polly:) I think it was a very interesting course especially considering the bad weather. But, wow, you made some beautiful paintings here! The first one has a real Italian look. The last is my fav because of the turquoise. Very nice. But hey; I loved your work anyway!! Hugs:)xx

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