Читать книгу The Indoor Artist - Linda Birch - Страница 7

This book came about as a result of my encountering many painters who cannot – or choose not to – paint outside ‘in the field’. There are a variety of reasons for this: some live too far from the countryside or lack transport to reach it easily; some are discouraged by unreliable weather conditions; others are not in sufficiently robust health to undertake a trip to paint outside, while many women do not feel safe alone in isolated places.

If you are one of these artists who are not able to paint outside the home you probably feel frustrated and disappointed by your apparent lack of subject matter. However, being indoors can be a real advantage. Your home really is a place where you have the privacy and time to try out new things, hone your skills and find inspiration. I know there are some who maintain that you can only produce a real painting if you work al fresco. Not true! Until the 19th century, all artists painted indoors. Even Turner regarded his outdoor work as sketches meant for his eyes only, prior to painting his more finished work. While his sketches are sometimes prized above his studio paintings, being indoors does not mean you necessarily lose freshness – it depends what and how you paint.

Indoor Flowers

36 × 26 cm (14 × 10¹/₄ in)

Being indoors provides an ideal opportunity to paint flowers and still life. It also gives you time to study form and colour at close range.

Country Path

27 × 27 cm (10¹/₂ × 10¹/₂ in)

Being inside doesn’t have to stop you painting the outside! You can work from sketches or photographs, or even use props to re-create an outdoor scene.

This is not a ‘how to do it’ book, since there are plenty of those already available if you need them. Instead, it is intended to act as a resource for ideas and inspiration if, for whatever reason, you are not able to go outdoors to paint. Although it deals predominantly with watercolour, the same ideas can be applied to whatever your medium happens to be. I hope you will find that they bring new life and energy to your painting.