It's difficult painting the figure in watercolor; at least I find it a challenge. the tints and subtle shadings for curves and folds, especially in a sculpted figure such as this Diana/Athena I admired in the Versaille gardens last summer.
Carved from that lovely warm stone I saw all over Paris, this more than life sized goddess surveyed all of us tourists with Gallic insouciance. "Look but don't touch, you silly little people in your anoraks and wet tennies. Isn't the sun and rain lovely on my glorious body? I am beautiful in any weather, unlike you miserable creatures."
I loved the Versaille gardens, the Petit Trianon and the Hameu (sp?) far more than the gas and bombast of the main palace. All the ornament and glitter of the palace becomes a visual burden. I can imagine how it must have become very depressing to wake up to that every morning. No wonder Marie Antoinette wanted to romp around in the meadows as a shepherdess.
By the way, I am churning out watercolors because I am gearing up for some big jobs and trying to finish my oil painting for Tony. I work on it and stop. It takes a while...each layer, since I am working in oils, has to dry before I work into it, and the weather has not been helpful. The rain has been steady and heavy this fall. So, I use this time to study Photoshop or do watercolors. Guess which one I'd rather do.........
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