Watercolour is a painting technique characterised by the use of finely ground pigments mixed with binders, which are then diluted with water and applied to the paint support to create compositions with characteristic, soft and delicate colours…
Konstantin Andreyevich Somov , Russian painter born in 1869 in Saint Petersburg and died in 1939 in Paris . “The lovers” , 1939 . Watercolour and pencil on paper.
The Kiss between the legs
Very close to the sex which blooms in the pink hairs
There is a place for lovers to kiss.
It is there that exhausted faces dream
And the thigh is tender with morose smiles.
No down, no matter how light, can ravish
The ecstasy of the lip on shivering skin
And fresh flesh can slowly satisfy
The cruel lover enthralled by a charm.
Softer than the cheek and purer than the breasts,
The thigh is so white among the cushions
That the mouth walks there smiling its grace,
And seeks to revive under veiled kisses
The trace and fragrance of spilt semen
On the texture of voluptuous, oily skin.
The Kiss Between the Legs
Pierre Louÿs (1860-1925)
Kate Matveeva, “Running towards the light”, 2022. Watercolour on paper, 50 x 40 cm
Art has a language that goes beyond words. Watercolours captivate the eye with their enchanting beauty and meticulous craftsmanship. In our exploration of the wonders of art, we’ll dive into the appeal of famous and lesser-known watercolour paintings that have left their mark on my sensibilities.
Each brushstroke and nuance tells a story that allows us to immerse ourselves in the spirit behind these works.
Kristina Maslakova, “Look closely”, 2021. Watercolour on paper, 60 x 42 cm.
Roselin Estephanía, Anxiety, 2021. Watercolour on paper, 30.5 x 22.9 cm
“Lady at the pond” 1910, watercolour, Charles Rebel Stanton (English, 1890- 1954)
Steve Hanks, “Catching the rain” watercolour painter (1949-2015). Emotional realist style. His works look like photographs, it’s breathtaking…..
” I tried to be responsible and spread positive images in the world,” says Hanks. “I hope my work brings comfort, pleasure and insight into people’s lives.”
Watercolour by Kousei.
This artist painted numerous watercolours during a trip in a wheelchair following a cerebral haemorrhage in 2021… “As usual, my left hand and left leg are still paralysed, but I can move my right hand and right leg freely, so I can draw”.
This watercolour depicts the cobbled staircase leading down from the three-storey pagoda of the Tenneiji temple, in the small town of Onomichi (Japan), also known as the “City of Love”.
Minori Tanaka,1932-2005, Japanese watercolour painter
Incredible reflections.
Titouan Lamazou, the watercolourist sailor.
“Hanalei Bay in the Hawaiian Islands, Jeanine Malaney.
Jeanine creates watercolours, oils and mixed media paintings on fabric. She has taught several courses on her techniques and published five illustrated books.
Watercolour by Kazuo Kasai.
“Nankurunaisa” is one of the most beautiful words in the world, and in Japanese means “with time everything settles”.
Sandra Schaffer, watercolour.
“A Little Lost Boy”, Dorothy Lathrop, 1920
Steve Hanks – (1949 – 2015)
American watercolourist whose work is characterised by an almost photographic realism.
“The beggar maid”, portrait of Gwendolin Logan, by Béatrice Parsons, watercolour (1894), private collection.
This British painter (1879-1955) is best known for her watercolours of gardens.
She also painted a few portraits, but from 1900 onwards devoted herself exclusively to gardens.
Many of her works were used in gardening magazines and books.
She painted in England, Europe and Africa.
Preferring to work on summer gardens, she specialised in those of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
She was a member of the William Morris circle (member of the Pre-Raphaelite Society and initiator of the Arts & Crafts movement).
Fran MacGarry (contemporary English watercolourist).
Dreams are the best thing in the world because it is thanks to them that we make progress in reality.
Guillaume Apollinaire
“A song of love” by Harry George Theaker, British painter (1873-1954).
Watercolour over pencil heightened with gum arabic – 51.4 x 72.4 cm – Private collection.
“Freshness”, Becky Choong, contemporary watercolour painter born in 1960, Malaysia
“Premiere”, Olga Novitskaya. A talented Belarusian artist born in Minsk in 1973.
She paints her magnificent paintings in watercolour, a technique that has captured her completely. As an artist, she has set herself the task of being able to paint absolutely anything that resonates with her, whether it’s a historical story, a portrait, a landscape or a bouquet of flowers.
She worked as an interior designer for many years until she fell in love with watercolours. She is now an active member of the Belarus International Watercolour Association.
Gerda Wegener (France-Denmark,1889 – 1940), “Portrait of a woman with a headband”, 1928. Watercolour and pencil on paper
“The young girl with carnations”, 2020, by Françoise Felice, French painter.
“Les deux femmes et les fleurs”, by Marie Laurencin, a French artist known for her soft pastel shades.
Lucy Willis, “Afternoon Shade”, 2011, watercolour. Born in 1954, Lucy Willis is a British painter and printmaker with over 27 solo exhibitions in London to date. Her work has won several awards, including the 1992 BP Portrait Award at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
Giuliano Boscaini , Italian painter, watercolour, 1958.
David Hockney, House, Como, Rain, 2003, watercolour on paper.
Enya Todd, British illustrator and watercolourist.
Steve Hanks died of cardiac arrest in April 2015, aged 66. He was suffering from cancer and could no longer work at the same pace, according to his wife Laura. “He was a man who spent ten to fourteen hours a day painting. He never gave himself a day off. After that, he could only paint for an hour and he got tired very quickly.
Steve Hanks now belongs to the great artists of history for his exceptional talent as a watercolourist.
“Woman in white in the flowers” by Zhao Guojing, traditional silk painter. Watercolour: ink and mineral paints.
“Markets”, Kah Tran, contemporary Vietnamese watercolourist. Floating market in the Mekong delta, Vietnam.
Recent watercolour by Japanese painter Atsushi Matsubayashi.
He studied painting at the Nihon University College of Art and has held several solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, Taiwan and Hong Kong. He teaches watercolour in Shizuoka, Japan, and has published several books on watercolour technique. He is a member of the Japan Watercolour Society (JWS).
Watercolour by Canadian artist Shari Blaukopf.
The puddles and reflections add greatly to the overall impression.
“Flip Flops and Lace” (1994), by Stephen Scott Young (American painter, born 1957), watercolour
Becky Choong, watercolour on paper.
“There’s nothing sweeter than returning home
As after long years of absence,
Than to return
By the path of memory
Blossoming with lilies of innocence
To the garden of childhood.”
The Garden of Yesteryear by Emile Nelligan
Teri Starkweather (American, born 1950), “Transparent memories”, 2016, watercolour on paper.
Esteve Hanks, 1949 – 2015, watercolour.
There is tenderness in this work. It implies respect and a benevolent view of all women.
“Morning” (1991), a watercolour by American portrait painter Steve Hanks (1949-2015).
Aurora Wienhold, “In her eyes”.
Aurora Wienhold is a German artist who has been drawing and painting for over twenty years.
After graduating with honours from her art studies in Wiesbaden, she studied pen and ink drawing, illustration, painting and design.
Since 2010, she has been working as a freelance illustrator and painter and lives in Brandenburg, Germany.
Aurora is best known for her watercolours and ink drawings, which have been featured on the international art community DeviantART since 2009.
I really like the warm tones of pink and yellow that she often uses.