Facebook challenge day 4: Plein Air Painting

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I’ve been nominated by my wonderful and inspiring friend Judy Skulborstad  for a facebook challenge to post three paintings a day, for five days. I got to know Judy on a painting trip in France a few years back and she is so funny and a really great friend. I am so looking forward to seeing her again.

Now I post another most loved and fafourite subject of mine: plein air paintings. What a joy it is to be there outside in nature and just feel the elements. No matter if in winter or summer, rain or with midges: it’s always, always a pleasure. I am just feeling alive.

 

Brunsneas I, 20×30cm, Öl, Astrid Volquardsen

Brunsnaes II, 20×30cm, Öl Astrid Volquardsen

 

Blick vom Op’n Bulln, 30×60cm, Astrid Volquardsen

Plein Air: View across the Alster in winter

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Blick über die winterliche Außenalster, Studie (2x 18×24cm, Öl) 2017, Astrid Volquardsen

I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the facebook challenge.The weather forcast promised cold frosty and clear weather. This motive lured me already the other day when the lake was getting a slightly slim surface of ice. Tomorrow the weather will be changing again and all the frost will be gone.

My board wasn’t big enough so I just put up two of them beside each other. Works fine as well.

Blick über die winterliche Außenalster, Studie (2x 18×24cm, Öl) 2017, Astrid Volquardsen

This study I will unfortunately have to finish in the studio, because at one point I had too much reflected sunlight on the canvas.

This day felt almost like spring. The birds are singing their spring song of love and the sun is already very strong. I have forgotten how pleasant the sunlight feels on the face and all the people around me are looking friendly.

Feeling blessed.

 

% day facebook challange

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I have been nominated by my artist friend Judy Skulborstadt for the facebook art challange. As I was scrolling through my paintings I realised how much I have done in the last years. I start with some very typical images of mine: The North Sea with it’s waves.

Im Abendlicht, 30×79cm,Pastell 2015

Herbstbrandung; 12×78cm, Pastell, Daler&Rowney Award 2013 der Pastel UK Society in den Mall Galleries in London,

Sylt, 30×45cm Pastell, 2016

Pastellkurse

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Foto: Marc Volquardsen

 

Ich bin bereits in der Planung für meine Kurse 2018. Es zeichnet sich ab, dass ich keine Freien Pastellmaler im nächsten Jahr in Hamburg anbieten werde.

Wer also dieses Jahr noch in Hamburg teilnehmen möchte, es gibt noch drei Plätze.

 

3-Tages Kurs

11. bis 13. März 2017 in Hamburg (Stadtteil Othmarschen)
9.00-16.00 Uhr; eine Stunde Mittagspause
Kosten: 300,- Euro (inklusive Mehrwertsteuer/ohne Material)
Teilnehmerzahl: auf 11 begrenzt

Nur noch 1 Platz frei

 

3-Tages Kurs

18. bis 20. März 2017 in Hamburg (Stadtteil Othmarschen)
9.00-16.00 Uhr; eine Stunde Mittagspause
Kosten: 300,- Euro (inklusive Mehrwertsteuer/ohne Material)
Teilnehmerzahl: auf 11 begrenzt

Nur noch zwei Plätze frei

 

Wer teilnehmen möchte das Anmeldeformular auf meiner Kursseite herunterladen und mir unbedingt schon vorher eine Mail schreiben, an welchem Kurs er teilnehmen möchte.

The joys of winter ( maybe not so joyful)

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Last Friday I went out again to paint plein air at the Alster. The day before I didn’t have a good feeling, because the east wind was getting stronger. East wind in our latitude means arctic or Siberian cold. Not nice at all. And I was right. Even though we only had -2 Degrees Celsius ( 28 Degrees Fahrenheit) the wind just cooled you down and makes the color go very tough to paint with.

This morning I listened to a podcast with Mary Pellis and Eric Roads »On painting what moves your soul«. At some points it resonated deeply with me.

»When you try to find your artistic voice: Go outside and do little studies and line them up.You will start to see what it is that excites you.Those paintings will have a more powerful shape, a beautiful line, or a more powerful tonality.«

Lack of time might not be a disadvantage because »of the miracle of turning of the intellect and painting intuitively.«

 

Well, cold weather adds up to that. It just freezes your brain. I needed to stop this painting much earlier than when I wouldn’t have, because I was shivering.

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Foto: Astrid Volquardsen, 2017

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Cold Wind, 18×24cm, Oil on MDF, Astrid Volquardsen, 2017

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Detail from »Cold Wind« Foto: Astrid Volquardsen, 2017

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