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!
- May 18, 2022 – Places In or Near Austin Texas You Can See and Buy My Prints ( Art and Photography ) #PrimalGallery #OldBakery&EmporiumPrints have consistently out-sold my originals if for no other reasons than they are less expensive and usually have more items to choose from. Not bad reasons at all 😊 What I want to do now though is, begin to –
- May 17, 2022 – I Have a Lot of Happenings ( art & personal ) This Week, But Still Finding Moments To Start a New Painting : Morning’s PromiseIt’s nice to dance the surface of my canvas as needed. And able ☺️ And right now, a light step, at an easy pace, may give me the time – and energy – to get more than a handful of other needed things also done this week. Not a bad compromise. For now 😊
- May 16, 2022 – New Diptych : “Freedom” Almost Finished, Panels Need Signing ( front & back )And what I’ve come across figuring out how to make prints of this that folks can work with, ie, close to or within standard size dimensions, was how to get a 22×28 image convert into – in 2 examples – an 8×10 or 12×18, and I came up with this as a starting prototype….
- May 15, 2022 – My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, “Spring Rising”I’d done a lot of deep or darker night-like paintings for a bit, so it felt pretty nice to lighten up my palette for awhile. Working back & forth, from the two approaches – playing the potential good from both approaches seems to suit my Libra middle, lol!
- May 14, 2022 – My 1st Classical Stretch Workout with Miranda Esmonde-White ( via YouTube ) in Many Months!Though similar to SilverSneakers’ classes, Miranda’s classes focus largely on making the fascia network in our bodies more fluid. Some movements are very similar, but more extended, dance-like, reflecting Miranda’s ballerina and dance background!
- May 13, 2022 – “Angel” in AVAA’s 1st Austin Art Space Gallery and Studio Group Show in a Long Time!Just a very quick post to announce that my 18×24 inch acrylic on stretched canvas, Angel – has been accepted into Austin Visual Arts Association’s ( AVAA) 1st group show since ( I believe ) the pandemic. Definitely been a long time coming and feels great to be able to be showing with this long time Austin art association again! 😊
- May 12, 2022 – Updated My #Twitter Header Image and Pinned TweetThough Twitter’s future is up in the air, or ether, or virtual landscape; and my own “footprint” there and social media in general is micro-whatever, lol! — it’s still my micro existence, and I want to care for it best I can 😊
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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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