"To paint with water colours: transparent painting art on blank paper made with in water solved colours" (small illustrated Larousse).

Yes….But still?!

Water, is already a game in itself, it is wet flame, (Novalis), he goes, he comes, penetrates into the paper, slides or remains there a bit longer… Add some colours, strong and clear pigments and then start the adventure. This is the idea that tortures you, your brush in attack, your heart beats on hollow, now you are ready to throw you in the unknown, fighting against yourself to express softness or strength……......

Painting watercolours, is no half life, it does not pass or ignore your feelings. Nothing else exists anymore around you, one forgets all! Just there in front of you, paper, water, the colours and your imagination, “creating is killing the death”...... (Romain Rolland).

Of course the beautiful one (yours beautiful) does not come automatically! It is the fruit of your observation which seeks, discovers and plays with everything transmitted to you: your joys, your sorrows but also your fears… It is the fruit of your patience and your perseverance.

Painting watercolours brings me peace, but also the dash. Sometimes the battle is hard and the result is not always at the levels of my wishes… why that spot there? I do not like it! But there, that fuse, that colours ...... God what are they beautiful.

Painting watercolours means no errors! Thus, I thank already the artists at whom I have taken lesson: M.Bocart, F.De Mulder,Cao Bei An, X. Swolfs  but above all I want to express my THANKS to Roland Palmaerts which has transferred, beside its extraordinary art of painting in water colours, its passion on me (not much was necessary), his philosophy (not very much!) and helped me to approach and examine painting watercolours “differently”.

Monique de Jong - Reifenberg