Pirogh Hesse

I took part in a three-day workshop organized by Stéphane Pau at l'Étoile-de-Voiron, near Grenoble. Intense, very professional and very relaxed at the same time, with live poses ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. I was able to deepen several techniques, in particular combining fineliner-pen and watercolour.

I also developed charcoal drawings:

Several models intervened during these three days at l'Étoile-de-Voiron: Camille, Clarinha, Manina, Patrick, Selma, Tiyi. Charcoal, fineliner-pen and watercolor from 30x40cm to 50x65cm. Life figure sketch, from 5mn to 30mn.

Nadège at la Guitoune. Watercolor, 20mn pose, about 30x42cm.

Tiyi at la Guitoune. Watercolor and fineliner-pen, about 21x30cm. Life figure sketch, 5mn.

Geneviève at la Guitoune. Watercolor and fineliner-pen, about 30x42cm.

This is the last figure drawing session before the holidays: today I use a fineliner-pen and watercolor.

Clarinha at l'ESAD. Watercolor and fineliner-pen, about 42x30cm. Life figure sketch, 10mn.

Back from a family meal on mother’s day, I stop my travel at the Bourget lake to swim and make a quick watercolor, just before the storm begins.

At the end of April, Clematis opened on my balcony: I was so happy that I did a painting of one flower. Next, I did a travel to Lovagny, close to Annecy in Savoy, and visited the family. I also painted a chalet.

Watercolor, about 21x30cm.

In April, I did a travel a week long in Corsica. I first visited Bonifacio in the south of the island. I painted a view of its famous houses above the sea with watercolor in a small A4 sketch book that I've done myself, as described in my previous blog post Travel by bike.

Next, I went to the north of the Corsica island in L'Île Rousse. These watercolors are about 21x30cm and took about 1 hour each. I also prepared some postal cards, about 10x15cm, that I sanded to family and friends:

When walking in the maquis shrubland, I also draw quick sketches with a fineliner-pen, about 15x21cm and about 10' each of them. I visited a small portion of the GR 20 footpath that started in Conca crosses the island. I also walked in the Agriate, with scenic views over the sea and smell of flowering maquis in spring.

In september, I did a travel a week long in Athens. I first visited the Acropolis and painted on the spot both the Parthenon and the Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion with watercolor in a small A4 sketch book that I've done myself, as described in my previous blog post Travel by bike.

Next, I went to the archaeological museum and discovered Mycenaean fresco of Tiryns. I was so impressed that I reproduce some of them. The previous woman portrait is my watercolor reproduction of the original, done between 1400 and 1200 BC, which is now in this museum. A photography of it is available here.

I also reproduced some fresco from Akrotiri. The following spring fresco dates from 1600-1500 BC.

I was very impressed by the style and freedom of these artists of the ancient Greece. Similaryly, the young boxers, from the same period:

Watercolor, about 21x30cm. About 2 hours each of them.

I was in July in Brittany: I painted watercolors on the spot. I was in Plouescat and Loguivy, near Paimpol:

During this travel, I used a small A4 sketch book that I've done myself, as described in my previous blog post Travel by bike. I fixed here to finish each watercolor in about one hour. Next, I visited Roscoff and Meneham:

In Roscoff, I decided to send postcards that I would have made myself: on an A4 sheet, I included four of them, so cards are in A6 format. I fixed to finish each card in about 15mn.