Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne! no.II

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Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne! no.II

This painting is one of the demonstrations I did in my recent workshop in Brittany. Pointe du Chevet is at the tip of the peninsula near Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer on the Emerald Coast of Brittany, France. As seen in the photo (below), the view we had from there was stunningly beautiful, and the weather couldn't have been better, either. Both my students and I were so eager to take advantage of this one fine day to paint outdoors.

When we arrived there, the tide was low, exposing much of the mud flat in front of us. Damp mud glistening in the sunlight, instead of the calm water, made the landscape look more interesting to paint - and challenging. Challenging, because every time fast-moving clouds covered the sun (and it happened every 5-10 minutes), that changed tonal values of the scene completely. I must say that must have driven my students crazy. In my workshop, I stress the importance of painting with values rather than colors, and then they were trying to deal with it when in fact the values changed every 10 minutes. Nonetheless the time we spent there was very pleasant.

While painting, we noticed down on the muddy ground some people walking and a tractor traveling to and from the mussel beds that were built a couple of kilometers from the coast. Later on, my students and I had the pleasure of tasting local mussels, one of Brittany's prized delicacies. They were a little smaller than what I am used to seeing elsewhere but so sweet and juicy. A day in the sun ended perfectly.

My students hard at work

A tractor on the mud flat

I put together my paintings and plein-air sketches (2013) of Brittany and made a book "Bretagne - Breizh - My Watercolor Journey Through the Land of the Celts in France." Click this link for more details.

Pointe du Chevet, Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, France I

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 8.5 x 23 inches (21 x 58 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Through Gallery

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Comments

1 Response to Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne! no.II

Dear Keiko,

Plein air painting has been around a long time, and for decades, I have been an admirer - particularly (but not exclusively) of the Newlyn School. On several occasions, decades ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one of their unforgettable works of art.

Sadly, I think you are just a bit presumtuous to think that you have enlightened the natives, through bringing your workshop to Brittany (where I live with a Bretonne wife). To be quite honest I find your work to be solidly anchored in clichés found in commercial studios almost everywhere in Britanny - some considerably better.

You really haven't begun to penetrate the veil of subtlety and infinite palette of nuance and mystery that Breizh has to offer. To do so requires a degree of humilty, familiarity and honesty that is seemingly not part of your 'If it's Sunday, this must be St. Malo' glib and commercial sketchbooks.

Brittany is a great cultural, artistic and metaphysical challenge. It doesn't surrender its soul on first encounter to technique. On the contrary, the artist must be prepared to view with a fresh set of eyes and interpret and execute as if it were her/his first-ever painting.

You have attempted to impose somewhat facile pre-conceptions and sterotypes on your subject matter. That doesn't work. Try again with your eyes open and senses receptive. It will take a great deal of time, but be well worth it.

Sincerely,

Michael Flannery
La Petite Lande
Lannebert, Cotes d'Armor
Brittany

Posted by Michael Flannery · via ktanabefineart.com · 144 months ago

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