This is the sketch I did while sat on the seat at the end of the pool in the water garden. I never know what to call the water in the water garden. It's too small to be a lake, too big to be a pond (and besides it's artificially created!). I've decided I'm calling it 'a pool' but there must be a French word which says it better!
I'm also more and more convinced that the vegetation around still water is really important to capturing 'the essence' of the place.
The Water Garden, Giverny11.5" x 17", coloured pencil in sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell
The sketch was done using coloured pencils across a double page spread of my Daler Rowney sketchbook - while hordes of chattering tourists led by tour guides making inane comments came past about six inches in front of me! It's not conducive to good sketching. I think I've got to investigate the arrangements for visiting the garden when it's not open to the public.
Back home, armed with my photos and video, I know that the colours should be deeper than the sketch and not as deep as in the photos!
This is the drawing I'm working on at the moment. The left hand side is more finished than the right.
(Work in Progress) The Water Garden at Giverny 9" x 12", coloured pencils on Arches HP
copyright Katherine Tyrrell
You can read my blog posts here:
- Making A Mark - The garden behind the paintings - Giverny
- Travels with a Sketchbook - The Water Garden at Giverny
Plus this site provides information about visiting Giverny - Giverny - a great garden
....and one day soon You Tube might allow me to upload my 3 seconds short of 10 minute video of a complete circuit of the pool - with an emphasis on the reflections in the water!
[UPDATE: ....and here it is A walk around Giverny - #1 The Water Garden]
8 comments:
nice work - I loved Giverny - a fabulous place! This should lead into an interesting series of works
I'd like to see you work this one over watercolour - I think it's the way to get the depth and intensity you seek
I has a similar experience when I set up my oil paints in a garden in downtown Chicago. Inane comments and yes, sweaty tourists 6" from the work. You persevered though. This will be a lovely series.
cett un etang per t'etra?
Oh my...spelling in French is so not going to happen! Like the look of the final piece K
Lovely, Katherine. And that WIP is already stunning. Waiting to see what you will do next.
annie
Thanks folks
Sarah - I didn't know that translates as pond - I always thought it meant lagoon.
lagoon, pond, mear, meer?, stank!? its what our french neighbours called our large garden pond when we lived in brittany and built, or excavated one.
Beautiful Katherine! I love it!
Monet speaks of.."j'ai eu la révélation des féeries de mon etang"(suddenly the wonder of my pond hit me..), it is also frequently spoken of "son jardin d'eau".
It is truly a place of wonder/magic.
ronelle
Its lovely to see Giverny through your eyes and wonderful to see it take further shape with the stronger values added. It is difficult to do any kind of drawing with people breathing down your neck - at least for me it is.
I agree with Vivien. I'd like to see a watercolour version of this one :)
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