Vegan Waterecolours

I've just had the pleasure of reviewing an intriguing new range of watercolours, intriguing because they are vegan - no animal products.

The palette is quite unusual in that it's very organic, Colors of Nature as they are labeled by the Canadian manufacturer.  There are lots of Siennas and Umbers.  The brightest pigment is the Ultramarine and there is a good Chromium Green.  This is a plaette that is a natural for landscapes and probably portraits, as the pigments dilute down to ver soft washes.  Good granulation and a beautiful range of greys is achievable.  I'm missing a clear bright red.  The Real Red is very much an Indian red.  This palette is certainly tailormade for Tuscan landscapes and architecure.

The paints come in little pots and are very reasonably priced.  Good luck to Colors of Nature - http://colorsofnature.com

Sketching in Rome

 From our room with a view

Largo di Torre Argentina

We recently had the good fortune to spend three days in Rome staying in a delightful suite overlooking the ruins in Largo di Torre Argentina. 

How did I score three days in Rome?  Well, Italy happened to be playing Ireland at Rugby in the old Olympic Stadium.

I would probably have been bored to tears had Italy not won!

The highlight of the trip (for me) was discovering a wonderful little kosher restaurant in the old Ghetto where I finally saw how to prepare Carciofi alla Romana.  The fridge is now full of globe artichokes.

Patonga Pelican Linocut

 Linocut 10 cm x 13cm

One of my favourite things about going home to Australia is to see the pelicans at Patonga.  Well it won't be long now but in the meantime I've made this two plate linocut.  Not sure which I prefer.  I think the first one.

Dovecote

Sometimes you'll hear New Zealanders claiming they are as happy as a 'box of birds'.  Well I'd be as happy as a Barrel of Birds if I owned this.

Ponte Vecchio Sketch

Ponte Vecchio Shops

As always I took my sketching gear to Florence last week.  As always I spent more time in art shops than actually making art.

I did manage to take a few photos so today I pretended I'd actually taken my sketchbook out on the Ponte Vecchio.  Working from the computer screen I attempted to keep the sketch as loose at it would have been sketched on location.  I restricted myself to my new tiny W&N Field Box full of colours I don't normally have in my palette and making do with the tiny container of water.  Obviously I'm in training for the summer!

The actual sketch was done with my 'new' vintage Italian Omas Extra desk pen that is around the same age as HWEM!  If you are ever in Florence my favourite pen shop, Casa della Stilografica is worth a visit.

Super flexible gold nib from the days when Omas made their own.

Omas Extra

Bird Life Sketches

Black Cap

These sketches are in my Stillman & Birn 9" x 12" Delta Series sketchbook.  The ivory paper and spiral binding don't make for easy scanning.

Jay

You've probably been wondering where I've been.  Well I've been wondering myself.  I think I'm back now.

Sennelier in Paris

Watercolour postcard - 3 Quai Voltaire, Paris

(featuring Sennelier's new Forest Green)

As I was leaving for Paris last June, I received a box of Sennelier's new formula watercolours.  Since they were Impressionist Colours, I had to take them with me.

I spent a whole morning in the Musee d'Orsay and then walked along the Seine in the footsteps of just about every artist who ever visits Paris - to the little shop at 3 Quai Voltaire.  It is here that  generations of the Sennelier family have listen to what artists really want and then come up with the colours in every form you can imagine from oil to watercolour to pastels and acrylics. 

Today as you 'snoop around Sennelier' it's apparent that the family are still listening to artists, this tiny shop has everything you've read about anywhere.  I was particularly delighted to see that they have obviously been following the huge on-line community of sketchers because all the pens and inks and brush pens are available here.

Of course at its heart this shop is still about pigments.  And what wonderful pigments.  I could go on forever but really this is just a plea that if you go to Paris, 'rush to Sennelier'.

Any stay in Paris is way too short so can you imagine my delight when I arrive back in Italy to find another unexpected package from Sennelier.  

Sennelier A History in Color by Pascale Richard

This book tells the story of Sennelier largely through its relationships with famous artists but it reads like a book of friends.  

'For a painter, an artist's store is like a toy shop' - Amerian Artist Christopher Brown

'Here are the talismans, they are going to help me, to give me wings.' - Vincent Bioules

On page 190 of the book is a cartoon by Jean-Jacques Sempre which illustrates his privileged relationship with Sennelier.  

'One of the pleasures of the painter is to prepare his palette silently in his studio before starting to work.  Another equally strong pleasure is the ritual of shopping at Sennelier where you can find it all, even what you are not looking for!'  I couldn't agree more.

But I am giving too much away, buy this book and delight in discovering as I did that in David Hockney's The Grand Canyon one finds Helios Red and Chinese Orange by Sennelier.  He is another pilgrim to Quai Voltaire.

Obviously this book was a gift to me from Sennelier but I couldn't have been more delighted had I bought it myself.  I will always treasure the personal note inside from Dominique Sennelier where he acknowledges that 'we share a passion for colors'.  Sennelier makes the most humble artist feel special.

After the excitement of Sennelier I stopped at a little cafe in Rue Montmatre and made a quick sketch of Paris rooftops.

 

We are going back to Paris this year for a special Christmas.  Guess where I'll be heading.

Butcherbirds have flown....

Butcherbirds - watercolour

This watercolour was painted for Poppy who has been hand-feeding Butcherbirds and Kookaburras at his home in Queensland for years.  Now for some reason his Butcherbirds have flown and he misses them greatly.

When I was a child the Butcherbirds had a reputation from mesmerizing small cage birds then plucking them out through the bars.  Anyone with a canary or a budgie hated them.  That was long before I saw them sitting politely and patiently on Poppy's knee.

The Texas A&M students at the studio here in Castiglion Fiorentino have been making stencils.  Inspired by their efforts I had to have a go.

Now I'm fighting the urge to don a hoodie and spray a few Butcherbirds around Tuscany.

DERMOTT - A life well lived

 Dermott 

a.k.a. Terremoto

February 2000 - July 2012

 

 

 

 

Endlessly loved.

Egyptian Goose Watercolour

Egyptian Goose Step - 22 x 30cms Gouache on Khadi paper

The geese were developed from my watercolour sketch:

I have a passion for  Egyptian Geese but have only seen them at an agricultural show in Umbria.

Often the desire to paint birds means one has to beg, borrow or steal (never!) a photo reference.  This time I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful photograph taken by a good friend in Richmond Park, London.  I could go on painting it forever.

© Alison Staite 2012

Sennelier New Range of Watercolour Paints

 Sennelier's new l'Aquarelle Honey-Based Watercolours

In December 2010 I participated in some blind tests of watercolours for the famous French artist's colour manufacturer, Sennelier.  At the time I had no idea what an interesting and rewarding project it was going to be.

First of all a box of 51 little zinc paint tubes arrived - no names, just numbers.

In the tubes were different formulations of twelve colours.  For a colour addict, this was surely a feast.  My task, along with other artists around the world, was to test and rate the contents of each tube by their luminosity, pigment intensity, consistency, ease of application and appearance after drying. I was going to need a system.

Starting work on the Ultramarine Blues.

Well that's all a long time ago now.  I sent off my tests and voiced my opinion on the various colours.  Back came an amazing box of gifts from Sennelier; beautiful paper, pastels, watercolours and brushes.  But the story wasn't over.

Last month I was packing for a short holiday in Paris when a courier arrived with the beautiful box of Sennelier's new watercolours you see at the head of this post.  Since it was called Color Palette of the Impressionists I had to add it to my Paris sketching kit.  

I used the colours for the first time to paint a postcard of one of my favourite places in Paris.  The painting has been posted to my friend Pat Reese in California as my July contribution to our art mail exchange A Postcard from My Walk.  Once Pat has received her card I'll be able to show it here.

Meantime I've been playing with my new Sennelier palette.  The first thing I noticed and loved about the new formula is the way the paint re-wets on the palette.  I'm inclined to squeeze tube paint into a light plastic palette to take sketching.  Being able to bring it back to a soft, rich tube consistency with a quick spray of water is very important.

Look at that stunning combination of three reds at the top left.  I want to wear it!  I also loved the way the Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Deep mix and granulate.  I'm very excited about  two greens - beautiful deep, rich Forest Green and Phthalo Green Light.  This introductory palette also has two very useful colours for sketchers, Warm Sepia and Paynes Grey.

Of course I'm only looking at 12 of the 98 shades now available in half pans, full pans and 10 and 21 ml tubes.

I have a great deal more to say about Sennelier but this is probably enough to whet your appetite for some delicious new colours.