Throwback Sunday…

January 29, 2022

As the snow keeps on coming down here in Canada, I find myself musing about my early portrait projects. I started out with water-colours in the early 2000nds. Although I enjoyed myself, it was not really my thing. Until I found out that water colour paint does not have to look… water-coloury per se! In my training with Suzanne Brooker, a wonderful portrait and abstract painter from Seattle, I found out that the old ‘underpainting’ technique that dates back to the classic masters, can also be used with watercolour. What a discovery!

I first became a grandmother in 2012 and by now I have 4 grandkids with my two foster daughters. However… they are all far away (Europe and Asia) and I have only met 2 of them in person. I was fascinated by Machteld, the last one to be born. Machteld is a Dutch name that translates in English as Mabel (easier to pronounce!). When she was not even 2 years old, she had what I called brooding-moods. Not a trace of a smile on her little face, but plenty going on behind those eyes. She just begged to be painted. So I did, using watercolours with the old multi layer technique that the old master became so famous for. Watercolour turned out to be an excellent medium for smooth young skin… Have a look and meet… Mabel!

Little Mabel is now not so little anymore and those dungarees, that were too big for her then, no longer fit – she will be 7 this summer – o how time flies!

Another girl I have always loved to paint is Isabel. The expression in the face of this little missy is different from one day to the other. And of course, as she is heading into her teenage years, she will got through the usual metamorphosis I am sure. I do hope that she will keep what I like to call this ‘Mona l’Isa’ smile. It makes me wonder what is going on in that little head of hers….

This watercolour is one of the last ones I did using this medium. I felt a growing urge to start doing portraits with acrylic paint because it gives me more freedom to use deeper and more vibrant colours.

Isabel, the girl with the Mona l’Isa smile…