Michael Reardon's Wonderful Watercolor Workshop

A little late in posting this, but a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take Michael Reardon's painting workshop through the Northwest Watercolor Society.  He is a wonderful teacher, and his paintings are amazing.  To see his work, go to www.mreardon.com.  He travels and loves to work plein air, which is so challenging!  Michael also won the Gabriel Prize in 2005--he was so helpful to me with support and great advice, before-during-and after my 3 months in France, I will be forever grateful.

As is the case with most workshops, you work completely out of your comfort zone with a completely new set of variables--different color palette, tools, paper--it's lucky to produce anything that looks decent! Of course, this was the case in Michael's workshop too.  I used his palette, had to dig out colors from my watercolor box that I have never used, had to buy new ones too.  To make a green, he underpaints in red then goes over it with Viridian--yikes! But it can work really well.

Another amazing thing he does is that instead of working in layers like most of us, he literally starts painting at the top of the paper and works his way down the sheet.  Such confidence and ability!  I have never seen anything like it, and yet, he is sooooo successful.  I really learned a lot. And he is just a really nice person too.  Thank you, Michael Reardon!

Below are a few small, quick studies, along with the painting I did the first day.

Vaux le Vicomte, Still Fountain

      


            

Weekend at Vaux le Vicomte, looking for Vanishing Points

Once again, I was able to spend the weekend at the Château Vaux le Vicomte as part of my Gabriel Prize study.  A warm thanks to M. Alexandre De Vogüé for his support in allowing me to stay in an apartment on site--it was incredibly valuable to have that extra time in the late evening (and to enjoy the candle lit château and gardens, and fireworks!) and the early morning in the quiet gardens.

Saturday was roasting hot--I hope I lost a good 5 pounds in pure perspiration!  Sunday was thankfully much cooler, at least in the morning, and I was able to make the long walk to the opposite side of the canal to get this view looking back toward the château.  It is a study for the final view of the three I need to complete for the Gabriel Prize project.  I found a shady spot and did this sketch, but had to color it later due to time.

I like this view--even though it is asymmetrical (and these gardens are based on symmetry), it shows the relationship of the gardens to the chateau, including the hidden canal and grotto fountain you see in the foreground of this sketch. And, I think I'm finally, finally, finding a balance of pencil to paint that I like.

Vaux is an amazing place--calm, elegant, and full of Landscape Architect Le Nôtre's perspective and optical tricks, which predate Versailles.

Château Vaux le Vicomte, looking back toward the château
from across the hidden canal.  The fountains were running the previous
day, and the movement and sound of water really transform
these gardens. July 28.

Watercolor Study for Gabriel Prize Final

Part of what I will draw and paint is a sequence of serial images that lead you through the garden at Vaux, revealing Le Nôtre's design in perpsective.  This is a photo of the watercolor study for view 5 of the sequence...

Vaux Sequence View 5 .  June 22, 2013 .  SBower
click on the image to get a better view

Sunny Morning at Vaux

I'm in Italy now, with empty sketchbooks to fill, but before moving on, here are two more studies from Vaux le Vicomte.  It was a bright, sunny morning, and because I had the opportunity to stay in a small apartment in the château complex Saturday night, I was literally the FIRST one in the gardens that Sunday morning!

Studying perspective at Vaux-le-Vicomte

People had told me the Château Vaux-le-Vicomte is a special place, and they were right.

It's now been about 2 weeks, but June 15 and 16 I had the amazing opportunity to do a series of study sketches at the Château Vaux-le-Vicomte south of Paris.  I had intended to stay only the day and sketch, but in the afternoon I had the incredible opportunity to meet with M. Alexandre De Vogüé whose family still owns, lives at, and operates the château.  Very down-to-earth and welcoming, he kindly invited me to stay that Saturday night, even providing a new toothbrush and toothpaste (doesn't get any more gracious than that), so that I could witness two amazing events at the château.

I spent most of that day sketching, starting with conquering my fear of heights by standing on the windblown small balcony atop the château's dome.  It provided a great view of the gardens and I had been challenged by my Gabriel Prize advisor to sketch from up there, so I did!  I then sketched a series of drawings walking through the gardens (which would become the studies for one of my final Gabriel Prize pieces), peeking into the design mind of Le Nôtre himself and discovering firsthand the use of perspective and visual tricks in his designs.

Vaux is lovely. It is the first place the trio of Le Nôtre, Le Brun, and Le Vau all worked together in the 1600's (Louis XIV apparently liked the place so much, he imprisoned owner Nicolas Fouquet and whisked the 3 designers away to work on Versailles.) 

Saturday evening, the entire garden and château are lined with candles at dusk, followed by a show of fireworks, much as the garden was viewed during Louis XIV's day. It was really amazingly elegant and spectacular. 

The next day was an annual event, the Journée Grand Siecle, a much anticipated day where people arrive in period clothing (many carrying elaborate picnics), on horses and carriages. No detail was left out--make up, hair, shoes--the works! A squad of Musketeers dueled each other while music events and theatrical plays were sprinkled throughout the grounds.  And it was THE hot and sunny day I had waited 4 weeks for!

I must say, the people in period clothing actually did fit in better than the rest of us in our jeans.  It was an amazing insight, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience the château in these ways.

Vaux from atop the Château

Vaux gardens from the Château platform

View from the Miroir Carré

View of the Grand Canal is revealed

View looking back to the Château in the distance