“There, in the chords and melodies, is everything I want to say.
The words just jolly it along.
It’s always been my way of expressing what for me is inexpressible by any other means.”
– David Bowie
For me, it’s colour and texture
Latest Activities…
Rembrandt granulating watercolors
Exploring Rembrandt further, this time I've painted swatches from their granulating watercolors and compared them to other brands that used the same pigments. I included Daniel Smith, a comparison many people asked for. https://youtu.be/WqX8WdfX2Ek Below you can find...
Rembrandt vs Van Gogh watercolor comparison
Having both the complete Rembrandt and Van Gogh watercolor collection, I could now do a comparison of sorts of the both. Here's the video: https://youtu.be/dwZlNl17I0Q And here are the three hi-resolution color charts. Remember that digital reproduction inevitably...
Do you want a Hug from me? You can have it!
A personalized Hug Did you like the Hugs that I posted online last week? And would you like to get a personalized Hug for yourself or for a loved one? You can! I've decided to draw Hugs for other people who really need one or who would like to give one to someone they...
And some more activity…
A week of Hugs
A week of Hugs is what I have for you today. Hugs because I mis hugging my friends and family. Hugs because I know you might miss that too. Many people do. So, let's start by a hug from me to you: Hugs, India ink on Bristol paper, © Mandy van Goeije, 2020 My week of...
Back to black with Inktober
Normally I don't do challenges anymore because I don't like how they intrude on my own flow, but Inktober is different. Just like writing Tanka I love limiting myself to just one medium. Creative wings are often born within limitations. It happens with writing poetry...
Maximum extraction in translation
As it happened, I was reading Zucked by Roger McNamee when I heard that celebrities were sending a signal to facebook by boycotting it and instagram for a day with the #StopHateforProfit campaign. I immediately remembered this tanka I drew and wrote last year and...
Cobalt Teals compared
One of my favorite pigments to work with, was PG50, a bright cobalt teal, or bright turquoise that is very much in fashion in art today. It holds a super vibrant and bright middle between blue and gold, although I prefer those that lean more towards the blue. I say it...
Making Rembrandt watercolor studio paint boxes
When I got the almost full new collection of Rembrandt watercolor paints, I wanted to make studio palettes to have the paint ready at hand. This video shows how I made two lovely studio paint boxes: https://youtu.be/JJLfd3P3Lss For a list of supplies, check out the...
Mindless faces
Mindless faces are faces I draw mindlessly and without a plan. They can be exercises to loosen up the fingers, to just relax and listen to an audiobook or to pour a surplus of emotion or thought into. Often, they come to life in wee, meaningful moments in busy times....
Rembrandt Watercolor – the Old and the New collection
A big surprise It felt like Christmas when a huge box full of watercolor paint tubes unexpectedly arrived at my door... Half an hour later a caterpillar of tubes containing lush watercolor paints lay on the dining table in order - screaming to be swatched and painted...
New Work
An update Covid-19 isolation brought new flow and I've been practising and working on new paintings and sketches incessantly for weeks now. I keep forgetting to update my blog and website, so I figured it was high time to show you some of my latest work, if you...
I say it best in watercolor – a speedpaint
https://youtu.be/THnIdx6hMMo
Experimenting feelings onto paper
A not-so secret hermit in isolation Dear reader, here's a little word from the art cocoon....a blogpost about laying down feelings through experiments on paper. About how visual journaling helps me process confusing and difficult emotions in this covid-19...
Corona-times tip: inspiration hack and a Wise Tree
Inspiration and hard times We can all do with an inspiration hack at the moment, can't we? It's not easy, feeling inspired with an outerworldly situation going on around you or even very close to you. And yet, worrying doesn't solve anything. As long as you take...
Combat corona stress, start nature journaling with The Little Big World!
How to keep your mind sane in this surreal time? If you're even the least bit like me, I bet the current news and quarantine have raised your stress levels at least a bit. Being kicked out of your daily routine and having to refrain from social contact isn't easy, but...