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!

• January 01, 2023 – Happy New Year! : My Most Viewed Image the Last Week of 2022 @FineArtAmerica, Little Steps PosterJanuary 1, 2023
  A wonderfully fitting image as my most viewed this past week, the last week, of 2022 – Little Steps, my poster version ❤️ 🙏 ☺️
• December 18, 2022 – 1st Return Appearance Since Spring : My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, Blue with Gold Twilight – #PanoramaDecember 18, 2022
  Ocean waves of blue fill our skies and seas, cascading sighs and whispers of inspiration with each breath.
• December 11, 2022 – My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, “Morning Light in Barton Springs Greenbelt, Austin Poster” ( circa 2021 ) #AustinTexas #AustinPhotographyDecember 11, 2022
  Morning Light Poster also recently sold at the Old Bakery and Emporium 🙏😌
• December 03, 2022 – My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, “Costa Rica Sunset Panorama” : circa 2017December 3, 2022
  I almost skipped even posting about it, but at 4x the views of the nearest most viewed of my images, I needed to drag myself out of my whatever-it-is recent posting stagnation, lol!
• November 21, 2022 – My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, “Dispatcher” : circa 2011November 21, 2022
  I thought Dispatcher had once already been one of my most viewed of my work on Fine Art America, but I guess not! 😊 It’s been a popular poem, and with the holidays upon us, a great choice as a print or coffee mug ☕️ 🇺🇸
• November 13, 2022 – My Most Viewed Image this Past Week @FineArtAmerica, “Cypress Creek Mid Afternoon Mid October” : Circa 2019November 13, 2022
  Very unusual to have so many photos from my collection of images at Fine Art America show up among my 12 most viewed images there at FAA, and for so many showing up for the 1st time….
• November 08, 2022 – The Mid-Term Elections 2022 : This is It! If the Elections Are Important to You…VOTE!!!November 8, 2022
  If the elections are important to you – vote! 😊🇺🇸🙏

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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/