Written by I’m Valérie Mafrica, 47, a french daily watercolor painter and… doodler ! I started painting when I was 20 years old. First oil then watercolor, but my life as an active woman and mother did not allow me to devote myself to this emerging passion.
About 8 years ago now, I felt the need to pick up my brushes. I followed a training of 8 months with a local painter and took part in a watercolor workshop with Fernand Lamy. But most of my learning has been self-taught.
My Path As A Watercolor Painter
My first and most important step in my artistic journey was to learn drawing through Betty Edward’s book Drawing On The Right Side Of Brain and Bert Dodson’s Keys To Drawing.
I work on drawing every day, as soon as I can, even 5 minutes. I draw, scribble, sketch, trace and model with graphite mainly, in sketchbooks that are never far from me.
Watercolor was immediately the painting medium to which I turned.
I read all the books of Charles Reid, watched all his DVDs and it is this wonderful artist who gave me confidence and desire to continue with watercolor only. I learn from him, and my way of painting is imbued with his advice, but I try to assert and find my own style.
My Watercolor Painting Tools
I only use honey-based pigments Sennelier tubes, pure Kolinsky red sable brushes, and watercolor paper, fine grain, Montval or Fabriano.
My palette is quite small and consists of about 20 colors. I know it on the fingertips, and I do not like to change.
My Painting Process
I always start with a 2B graphite pencil outline contour drawing. It allows me to interpret a subject and reason just in terms of shapes, areas of different values, trying to merge areas of similar values.
Then I apply my color with a lot of water (too much in general but I like the letting go that the water compels me to adopt) on dry paper. At this point, I sometimes add pure pigment,wet in wet. I try to get the right value and good color immediately. I don’t work a lot by layering washes. I also avoid retouching to keep a maximum of spontaneity. I prefer to start over again if I am not satisfied.
My Inspiration
I find my painting subjects most of the time on the internet. I use other users’ photos on sites such as PaintMyPhoto or Flickr. But I also use my own photos or composition. My cats are a great source of inspiration.
I have recently developed a real interest in portraiture. To find inspiration, I recommend the Sktchy app, which offers to paint the photos made available by other users.
I would like to paint in « plein air », according to a real subject but I have not yet managed to overcome my shyness!
I like to paint all that surrounds me, without restriction, according to the desire of the moment. Animals, portraits, landscapes, still lifes, everything that touches me and will catch my eye. There is no bad subject. Everything lends itself to an artistic interpretation if the painter decides it.
Sharing My Artwork
I participated in some local exhibitions of amateur painters. But I share and communicate about my art mostly through the web.
I find help, advice, criticism, encouragement, congratulations, and sometimes, what is the best reward for an artist (still alive…) some customers!
My Approach To Watercolor
The key to my vision of watercolor is letting go, painting loose. I like the idea of conveying emotions and suggesting things by colored spots. It’s both poetic and magical as a concept, isn’t it?
Valérie Mafrica
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So gifted, bring out that beauty! 💐
Thank you so much
Beautiful paintings! Thank you for sharing!
It is a pleasure to share with all of us. Painting IS sharing 🌞
Lovely. Nothing is overworked, and there’s an immediacy and freshness that is captivating.
So gentle thank you!
You know I love your work! Follow you on Sktchy and regularly comment. Thanks so much for sharing your work!!
Hello🌸 happy to see you here! thanks
Valérie, your work is captivating. Your use of color and composition is amazing!
Thanks Sandra
Your colours are so lovely, your paintings full of life. Thank you for sharing
Thank you Rod for your kind comment
love, love, love!
love of course! thank you Vicki
Lovely loose, colorful style.
thank you so much Sharon
Hello Valérie,
Thankyou so much for sharing your paintings and recommending the books by Charles Reid, Betty Edwards and Bert Dodson.
as a self taught artist, I really found help and so much inspiring artworks in those books. Thank’you gabriella
Such a wonderful style. I really love what you do with the colors. I’m looking forward to when you get involved in Plein Air, urban sketching, and maybe cafeteria and other interior sketching. Liz Steel is one of my favorites in the ink/color wash urban sketching genre. So is Stephanie Bower. But you have a niche right where you are.
Thank you Trent. I can’t sketch when others people surround me… I ´m totally thrilled by the others eyes…. hope I will a day come over this fear
I’m amazed, so beautiful! ❤️
thank you Ann
Beautiful 👌
Thank you so much
Nice! I really lijke your landscapes. 🙂
Why do you not try to paint those en plein air? That is a great experience and will give you more confidence to paint with onlookers near you.
Thank you for sharing, I like the looseness and freedom of your sketching and painting.
Your art has the magic Charles Reid had in his. Thanks for inspiring. Thanks for your Instagram photos and videos. The photos inspire and the videos helps a lot in understanding the technique.
Thank you for sharing your journey of love for watercolour and the determination that you have to continue doing art. Your artwork is beautiful. Love it very much!