Small Figurative Studies in Watercolors from Life at Home
I’m not sure what makes an artist lean towards a particular flavor of art, but I’ve always been pulled in the direction of quiet images of every day life.
In the art world, images of ordinary people doing common activities like reading, working or lounging with family are called genre scenes. They depict day to day life in the house and the yard, and they’re often sentimental and familiar.
Use What You Have – Make Things from That
Almost all of my figurative work is based on surreptitiously captured cell phone photos of friends and family.
If the inspiration to paint or draw was prior to cell phones, I’ve used old family slides (my father and his father and his father’s father were all camera kooks). Have you browsed your old family albums for inspiration?
Paint and Draw What is Familiar
As our family’s self-appointed genealogist, I have a treasure trove of vintage family photos from the end of the 1800’s to the early 1990’s.
I’ve encouraged fellow artists to draw, paint and collage from family photos, because the features, carriage and bone structure of previous generations is innately familiar to us. That makes you one step closer to “knowing” the image you’re trying to capture.
The Artist is in Charge
One of my favorite benefits from choosing family photos to depict genre scenes is the artist’s ability to transform boring into fabulous.
In the two images above, the left side shows the painter Pierre Bonnard’s (1867-1947) kitchen window and a portion of the view outside. There is even a plate of fruit on the table in the foreground, but no part of the image is remarkable.
Pierre’s painting of the scene from a slightly different angle is on the right – one of many he did from that room – and it’s so very lovely. Look at how he made that window amazing with color, light, composition and temperature. Isn’t it great?!
We artists notice things that other folks pass by. It might be a reflection of boats on the water’s surface in a harbor, or the way mountains in the distance look purple against a blue sky. We might see the way a window pane shadow curves around the shape of a sleeping child on the couch. It’s part of our charter as noticers to help the rest of the world slow down so they can consider, observe and see.
Pick up your art supplies, flip through your family photos, and make something soon.
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the nest post –
Belinda
P.S. If you like Bonnard, I wrote a series about his work over here. And for a sense of scale, take a look at this short video from an exhibit of Bonnard’s work in The Phillips Collection.
Art Quote
Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.
I enjoyed this article. I’ve been sketching from old family photos and colouring with markers or watercolour this summer. Hopefully I’m gaining some skills! Thanks for the inspiration. Your paintings are lovely.
Hi Darlene – Good on you for tapping into your family photo treasures. I enjoy sketching from the old black and white browny shots. The amount of style everyone rolled out back then was lovely to draw. Thanks for your visit.
Beautiful and inspirational artwork, thank you for sharing so many diverse paintings. My faves are the one of you and the other is your granddaughter at the piano.
Hi Carol, Thanks for your visit and the encouragement. I hope you’re inspired to explore images of your family to use an art reference too. It’s great fun – especially if you work on rendering carriage and body language rather than facial features.