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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

A Beautiful Country Church

There is something special about a small country town. On approaching one already sees the church spire dominating the skyline. Small towns, large churches! Here on the West Coast it seems as if there have always been seats for every citizen of the the town. I was astounded to see the Dutch Reformed Church in Hopefield up close, never having seen a church where the colour black was so successfully integrated into the structure!


So how does one paint a 19th Century building with all its filigree, turrets and detail? As I have done at Malmesbury before, I decided to find an interesting section to paint. The painting was done in a single three-hour session using the wet-in-wet oil technique. I used an angled brush (shader) throughout, using the sides and the edge.

8 comments:

  1. You've painted it beautifully, Marie. Such a lovely piece.

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    1. Thank you so much, I am sure I disappoint you with my being so slow!

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  2. Hi Marie
    It has been a difficult year this past year with my mother's illness and then her passing. I had no time in the studio, but I am now going to get back at it! And I want to get around to visiting all the artists I have missed out there!
    I so love visiting these towns with you and seeing the architecture, town life and culture. Churches are so unique and are great to paint. This is a lovely depiction of the entrance way. I enjoyed the photos in the previous post. I thought the bedroom entrance would make a great painting as well!
    And yes, I am still out there blogging!

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    1. Hi Catherine, I was worried and wondered maybe if there was a creative block, like you hinted at in some of your posts. I am sorry that you had this very worrisome time and the sad outcome of losing your Mom.

      Yes, I truly fear painting a church because in the country it is usually their most precious building from the past. Yes, I am often told that that entrance will be a nice subject. Will visit your blog if it is up and running!

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  3. Marie, you did a lovely painting of the church. It's always a treat to visit your blog, your work is amazing.

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  4. How kind of you, Joan! Loved your peonies when I opened Fb this morning!

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