Charlotte Bresser
NO REGRETS Je ne regrette rien - no tener remordimientos
I studied fine arts and taught art for high school as well as an art related subject at university. Now, in retirement, I still teach art to adult groups and present workshops on a regular basis. I used to be moderator of matric art in the Free State and probably adjudicated hundreds of art competitions.
I gave birth to 4 kids, gained 4 more when they married and they then produced of course the smartest and cutest 5 grandchildren ever.
I have done several solo and group exhibitions and is still actively producing, teaching and exhibiting art. I am also very interested in interiors, the philosophy of creativity, photography, birding. I love writing and illustrating my literary attempts and secretly hope to publish someday.
An unknown artist said:
This life is hired out to me to decorate this world with glee.
I love to think that I may add a little glee to this world.
My Art
In art making I have a definite preference for water colors. I also love drawing, collage and sometimes work in acrylics. I love working in an expressionist way, have dabbled some with abstraction which I find difficult. I do hope that my work has a certain spirituality, since that is what I experience while working. But ultimately I am an Intimist, which boils down to manipulation of emotional and physical space. In addition to intimate spaces, the term can describe visual art or literature that deals with personal, private feelings or experiences.
Subject matter: I do portraiture, birdpaintings, city scapes and my ultimate favourite, landscape. I also love travelling and recording these travels.
Op kunsskool, lank gelede, het ons dikwels onderwerpe gekry wat my gedwing het om kommentaar op sosiale probleme te lewer. Dit was vir my die heel moeilikste opdragte, wat ek met geweldige emosionele moeite voltooi het. Ek kon my eie reaksie op hierdie opdragte nie verstaan nie, totdat Magda van Ryneveld eendag in die Kunsgskiedenisklas vir my begrip hieroor gebring het. Dis ‘n persoonlikheidsding: in moeilike tye, deur die eeue, het die meeste kunstenaars geprotesteer, kommentaar gelewer, bewustheid geskep – en dit is reg, dit is die werk van kunstenaars en van die mees betekenisvolle veranderinge in die wêreld is hierdeur begin en deurgevoer.
Dan is daar egter ook die Vuillards, Bonnards, Gwen John en ek – die Intimists, wat in dieselfde omstandighede na binne keer en die bekende, gekoesterde, “mooi” en eie omgewing en mense skilder. Van Henri Le Sidaner (1862–1939) is geskryf:
“When asked what school he belonged to, his own reply was: ‘None. But if you absolutely insist on categorising me, I am an intimist.’”
INTIMIST (INTIMISME)
This stylistic classification has been used to describe late 19th-century genre scenes, set within domestic spaces. Intimism is closely associated with works produced by Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard. The visual characteristics of intimism overlap with contemporary movements and groups such as impressionism, Symbolism, and the Nabis. In addition to intimate spaces, the term can describe visual art or literature that deals with personal, private feelings or experiences. Vuillard, Bonnard, and their intimist contemporaries were adopting ideas explored centuries earlier by Dutch artists such as Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675).
Source: “European Collection,” DMA research document, n.d., Education files.
Miniature Paintings
Painting Mediums
WATERCOLOURS
Ever since I started dabbling in art, my favourite medium is watercolours. The “one chance medium” which is suited to both quick impressions and detailed renditions which take prolonged amounts of time. My beloved mentor was Juliana Paton (LINK) who taught me solid technique, knowledge of colour and understanding of shape and form. With that sound training as basis I could then experiment, for example with water colours applied with pallet knife to very wet surfaces – although I do have an idea that that specific technique might cause her to slightly turn in her grave!
PEN AND WASH
The combination of soft and quick water colour washes combined with pen (whether it is traditional pen and ink or good quality fine liners) is a big favourite of mine and it is also the technique that I use for travel paintings.
TRAVEL PAINTINGS
I do not go anywhere without an A5 water colour pad, a small water colour set, brush with built in reservoir and a good fine liner. I experience my surroundings more intensely while making watercolour sketches. I always take a photo from the same vantage point and sometimes these combinations transition into finished paintings. I find that the combination of the photograph, which is very specific, as well as the atmospheric experience of the onsite sketch, makes for well-rounded and finished paintings.
DRAWING
I firmly believe (and I am backed by modern and classical masters in art) that sound drawing techniques have been and always will be the foundation of good art. Drawing helps one to explore and experience shape and form towards real understanding thereof, including the tricky aspects of perspective in all its forms.
INK
I use ink both as drawing and painting medium. Ink on canvas, for example, has very distinct challenges but provides wonderful results.
ACRYLICS
While at art school I painted in oils as that is what everybody did. Since then I have transitioned to acrylics. This medium best suits my impatient nature. I also love the fact that it can be used in techniques resembling oils, as well as obtaining a water colourish effect when so wished. And, of course, a combination thereof!