WORK ON PAPER

THE BONNARD BOOK SERIES OF WATERCOLOURS

Posted by Jane Wheeler

Bonnard book with tête a tête daffodils, watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm

in March I bought a very large expensive and very beautiful book on Bonnard, by Isabelle Cahn, published by Prestel, full of marvellous illustrations, whole paintings and many detail photos. I went from painting piles of books to painting pages, double-spreads and part pages, as still lives.

Bonnard book on plant table, watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm

you can see how in love with this book I was – and still am.

Bonnard book open at bath painting, with tulips – watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm

I bought the book having been to Ingleby Gallery’s show of contemporary artists who  respond to/are influenced by Bonnard. There was a copy of it to look at.

Bonnard book closed with tulips, watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm

Bonnard book, bringing out the unexpected, watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm

Bonnard book, feeding the pets, with tulips, watercolour on acid-free 140 gsm paper, 297 x 420 mm.

Having done these in a big Seawhite sketch book I got out some better paper, a hot press 300 gsm and did some paintings as double page spreads.

Double-page-spread, Open Door and The Open Window,  1921, watercolour on 300 gsm hot press paper, 38 x 56 cm

From Fruit and Fruit Dishes, circa 1930 and The Red Checkered Tablecloth, 1939, watercolour on 300 gsm hot press paper, 38 x 56 cm.

I note there is a cat’s head in the bottom lefthand corner of Fruit and Fruit Dishes, and at the time  my hand really hurt (arthritis) so it got a bit wilder.

From Normandy Landscape 1920 and Landscape with a Tug, 1930, watercolour on 300 gsm hot press paper, 38 x 56 cm.

From Dining Room in the Country, 1913, watercolour on 300 gsm hot press paper, 38 x 56 cm

About noticing things. The cat on the chair.

THE BEDSIDE STACK

Posted by Jane Wheeler

I’m having fun painting books at the moment. This was my first one – Connemara, Listening in the wind, Tim Robinson. Jean Atkin, High Nowhere. Poetry Review (Winter 2020). The Dingle Peninsula, Steve MacDonogh. Cats in May, Doreen Tovey. Lara, Bernadine Evarista. Scots Gaelic, George McLennan.
watercolour on 140 gsm cartridge paper, 2024, 21.5 x 31 cm.

SHIELDAIG KITCHEN WINDOW VIEW

Posted by Jane Wheeler

Watercolour on 300gsm hot press paper, 2024, 10” x 8″.

There is a surprising untidiness in the Highlands. A trailer type caravan full of ?unwanted? things. But with the roads being so narrow and winding, perhaps removing something like this is a logistical nightmare, and it has its use as a storeroom.

SHIELDAIG TREES

Posted by Jane Wheeler

Watercolour on 300gsm hot press paper, 2024, 10″ x 8″.

In February I went to Shieldaig, near Torridon and Applecross in Wester Ross, on the north west coast of Scotland, for a short holiday with my daughter. We stayed in a converted croft near the fishing pier on Shieldaig Loch, which had no garden as such but was surrounded by steep grazing land, trees and hills on two sides. Views from the windows were like this.

IN THE BOW WINDOW

Posted by Jane Wheeler

Windowsill portrait. Pots left to right –
Doug Fitch – Nic Collins – antique glass – Nic Collins – me – Georgian glass jug – Stephen Parry.

Watercolour and pencil on 300 gsm hot press paper. 2024. 8” x 8” or 20 x 20 cm.

 

WAITING FOR THE SNOW

Posted by Jane Wheeler

A different room and window – in the bow window I keep indoor plants, and ceramics. Here is a pot of snowdrops from Cambo Gardens, and a large wood-fired ash glazed jar by Nic Collins.

Watercolour and pencil on 300 gsm hot press paper. 2024. 8” x 8” or 20 x 20 cm