Dearest Gentle Art Reader,

Would you believe I share a few things with dear Claude Monet:

 

1. Prints of our art are both featured under artists beginning with "M" on a couple of art websites!! Link to prints but also we have shared the same wall regarding the movement and influence of impressionism.

2. We both have ponds in our gardens albeit different sizes.

3. We both had/have a fascination of painting ponds in their different seasons and times of day.

 

His work has inspired me ever since I had the opportunity to see his “Grands Décorations” up close. I was transfixed and completely absorbed by both the abstract nature of the brushstrokes and the powerful scale of the pieces. It was overwhelming, but once I found a place to sit and absorb it all, countless questions sprang to my mind: How did he manage the practicalities of painting this? How must he have felt when presenting it to the world? How long did it take to create? How did he get up the scaffold at his age? How was it transported here to London? How long did it take to dry completely? The questions just went on and on.

 

At the time, I came away with a heart full of inspiration but I will admit also a twinge of envy. Imagine having all that time to paint and create something that you loved and having the confidence to ignore powerful critics, as he did for so long in his early career. I remember also feeling slightly deflated that day. However, I firmly believe that what makes us feel like this often indicates an unmet desire and provides an opportunity to explore our own insecurities or feelings of inadequacy.

I left that day with an unsettling sense of lacking. It had triggered an unmet desire to be a professional creative. I can almost hear the smallest of violins playing now as I write this, as there is a happy ending, as you may already know. After that experience, I signed up for evening adult education classes in London, then in Guildford and Farnham, basically wherever I worked I decided to have art education and exploration in my life. I worked on illustrations, life studies, clay modeling, watercolors, pastels, and silk painting. I dragged friends with me and accepted invitations from others too (you know who you are!). I created my own Foundation course in art and cherished the escape from a work day of numbers to spend time with other artistic people, being a student again and immersing myself in a different, happy zone.

When I look at artwork, I still think about the time the artist spent in their happy zone (or, as I now know, the various stages of creation—ranging from “This is going to be my best piece” to “This is never going to work” to “I don't care if anyone hates it; I love it!”). I ponder why they made certain marks or chose particular colours. Did they paint standing up, at arm's length, or throw a spot of paint in a fit of angst or pleasure? There is just so much you can read into a mark.

The pond-inspired artwork you see here now is my happy ending to the overwhelm I felt in my 30s. My lily pond at home is but a teeny fraction of the one at Giverny, yet I am blessed with one and have access to many others within dog walking distance. My pond artwork is an amalgamation of my favorite techniques, and I only struggle to decide which pond inspiration and colours will be my focus that day. My works range from 6 x 6 inches to 60 x 40 inches—the latter being restricted to the maximum I can fit in my car boot! So when you see my pond work, see the marks and also the full circle that I have journeyed: I'm so grateful that this is one loop I have been able to close. Not everyone does, and that feeling can eat away at people; I know it did for me for a time. I would never have guessed people would be collecting my artwork. Being free to create, and making connections with people on a level I didn't dare to think about never escapes me.

 

I hope you will be able to experience these works for yourself. I can't promise a Monet-type reaction, but each piece is filled with potential, passion and a willingness to share the joy I feel when being near these pools of wonder.

 

 

Surrey Artists Open Studios runs from June 7th to June 22nd. My studio will be open each Thursday to Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM, late on Thursdays. Meet artists in their studios, homes, and galleries to learn about their stories and what inspires them and hopefully resonates with you.

Wishing you a lovely month ahead, and I hope to see you soon.

Artfully yours,

Colette x