Years, no decades ago, lol! I used to read lots of bio stuff ‘bout the impressionists. One detail I remember about artists working (painting) during times of political stress was of Renoir. I don’t remember the book, but with sieges by both the Prussians and French Army at differing times upon Paris, there apparently were numerous instances. In this one I read decades ago, Renoir, who lived in the tenement houses where the Tuileries are now, would sneak out of Paris through the barricades to paint in the surrounding forest. Being a friendly man, a good man, he’d made many friends, and both the defenders and the attackers recognized him as a friend and allowed him passage!
Now evidently this wasn’t always the case. In searching for where I read the above account, I came across this one – https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/02/24/renoir/ – where, painting in the forest, Renoir was accused of being a spy of troop movements in the forest, and taken to a nearby town to be shot. There, he was recognized by someone who himself had been saved once by Renoir. I’d never heard or read that story, but it’s pretty fascinating! 😊
So what’s this to do with my to-me-overworked watercolor above?
Painted during the stress of our recent crisis.
Politics gone bad 😏
Like the expressionists in Nazi Germany. Or Renoir during the siege of Paris. Only thankfully not nearly as dire as those events. And as long as we stay vigilant for our democracy, should never ever be.
I did get to re-work a few bits yesterday, and I like this a lot better ☺️
I added some violet top of the green top of the bridge, refocused parts of the top of that bridge, softened a few edges, and added a few highlight.
My use of white is via gouache. I felt kinda guilt ’bout it til I read that John Singer Sargent used white extensively on his watercolors! Thank goodness 😊
The above Google search has lots of good info, and I especially found this review of Sargent’s exhibit at the MFA Boston (from a few years back) by Marc Taro Holmes particularly helpful and detailed, with lots of sample images —
https://citizensketcher.com/top-posts/jss-watercolor/
My detail shot of my re-worked watercolor immediate above seems to bring across what I often try to do, or end up doing, in almost all my work, from oil to acrylic to watercolor – include a mix of wash like spreads of color and texture.
Finding that right mix of the two, washes (or semblance of) and texture, are what I enjoy doing most when I paint, regardless of medium.
This then tends to create an abstraction into the work.
It is then, when I can then keep ‘ mix my abstract compulsions with something identifiable, that I feel my most satisfied.
Seems easy enough, but I almost nearly always find it a struggle, lol!
I’m either really not very good at this (distinct possibility many days 😏), or don’t know when to quit soon enough 😯, or just plain get lost in exploring 😊
I’m guessing it’s itself a mix of all three in varying degrees on varying days in varying works.
That should cover me ❤️
Take care everyone, stay healthy and happy and free!
Adan
Twitter / Instagram / FB @FelipeAdanLerma
Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/2YpgyUf
Fine Art America (FAA, Pixels) – https://felipeadan-lerma.pixels.com/
Direct link to the image in above tweet at Fine Art America –
https://felipeadan-lerma.pixels.com/featured/monets-garden-april-rain-in-giverny-digital-felipe-adan-lerma.html
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My general Google search for Renoir and the siege of Paris –
https://www.google.com/search?q=renoir+during+the+seige+of+Paris&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
— Direct link to blog post in tweet above 😊
https://felipeadanlerma.com/2019/11/03/adans-movie-reviews-renoir-via-prime-video/
Serial Painting, my Google search
My Related Amazon Affiliate Search Products
https://www.amazon.com/shop/felipeadanlerma
My Amazon search for Renoir (books, videos, wall art) –
https://amzn.to/38mELTm
My Amazon search for Impressionsim –
https://amzn.to/3nitGHg
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My Related Posts Here On My Blog
My Latest Posts On My Website!
- Follow-up blog post after my 1st blog post since August 2025 earlier this week – Definitely like starting new!“The relinquishing of one’s art, my art, to myself, is sometimes more scary than gearing my productivity to outside expectations”
- My 1st blog post since August this year (2025) – Like starting new!“My plan, my hope, is to keep this, my original layin, produce a new 2nd similar layin but add a content color layin; keep it; then repeat the steps with the two formative layers and see what finished product I might produce – 3 works total”
- Poetry and Art 2025 : 1st Wings 2025 8×10 – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊Excerpt from my original poem for 1st Wings — “teasing smiles from her wide eyes as trembles aches stretched sweet like taffy….” – Adan –
- Poetry and Art 2025 : Scratches Made Whole 11×14 2025 – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊“she felt herself in pieces gathered her sharp edges slowly – – her smoother edge moments gingerly in a dance of yes and no” – Adan –
- Thrust 2025 11×14 Fearless, With Hope, Through the Chaos – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊“Ancient earth tones touched her feet swam underneath her skirt brushed her skin with raw silk cells” – Adan –
- Poetry and Painting – Thrust 2025 24×36 Into the Void – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊“Leaping thrusting herself into the void of life’s light” – Adan –
- Poetry and Painting – Thrust 2025 24×36 Whispering – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊“Leaping thrusting herself into the void of life’s light” – Adan –
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Thanks again, everyone! 😊
Adan
Twitter / Instagram / FB @FelipeAdanLerma
Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/2YpgyUf
Fine Art America (FAA, Pixels) – https://felipeadan-lerma.pixels.com/
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