My name is Sarah Piro, and I’m a French watercolor artist based in Paris. I’m passionate about travel and I am also an architect, so my watercolors enable me to highlight monuments I meet every day, as well as those that catch my eye during my various trips. My work always begins with a very precise, controlled pencil preparatory drawing; then when the time comes to set the color, I leave room for the uncontrollable side of watercolor, as pigments melt, bringing a fantastical element. Most of the time, the base of the watercolor remains unfinished, which makes buildings feel like they are floating, as though straight out of a dream or fantasy. In this way, I am combining realism and surrealism.
Paris Pantheon, watercolor on cotton paper, 12 x 15¾" (30 x 40 cm) The dome of the Paris Pantheon remained hidden behind scaffolds for years. When they were dismantled at the end of the construction site, I wanted to paint what had been hidden for so long, as if to celebrate a reunion. Paris Pantheon is represented in a low angle view, which accentuates its monumental proportions and pastel colors, adding a certain softness to the whole piece.
Banteay Samre, watercolor on cotton paper, 12 x 15¾" (30 x 40 cm) Back from my trip to Cambodia in 2017, I wished to immortalize the beauty of the temples of Angkor whose mystical side continues despite their very advanced state of degradation. I remember the fineness of the carved details, and I tried to transpose on the stone all the shades of colors around the temples: warm colors, ground and stone, but also greener tones, reminiscent of the vegetation that takes hold of these buildings.
Architectural heritage is my main inspiration, but I also marvel at nature and animals, especially marine animals, which are also part of my artistic universe. It also allows me to escape from geometry and straight lines, very much present in my architectural watercolor paintings.
Gothic stained glass, watercolor on cotton paper, 15¾ x 12" (40 x 30 cm) This watercolor, which represents a flamboyant gothic stained glass, is a tribute to gothic architecture, inspired by the stained glass in Chester Cathedral in England. At that time, the search for light requires the creation of very large bays, and the stained glass window became a picture book. I didn’t use a drawing gum for this watercolor to be sure that the spaces between each piece of glass were thin enough. Contrast is accentuated by the chosen color palette, mostly complementary colors: a majority of warm colors for the stone and blue, cold tones for the stained glass.
Seahorse, watercolor on cotton paper, 11 x 5½" (28 x 14 cm) This watercolor painting is part of a series of works on the theme of marine animals, a fascinating source of inspiration for me, as I love to see them in their natural environment whenever the opportunity arises. For this watercolor I used cool colors, mainly blues with touches of purple, and I essentially worked on light and dark tones to accentuate contrast and give a voluminous effect. I also used masking gum to keep the white of the paper in place, reinforcing this impression of volume.
We find in my work a common staging to all the figurative objects I choose to paint: they are taken out of context, in the center of a blank sheet of paper, which allows me to truly highlight them. Architectural heritage and wildlife are very precious to me, and I have a desire to put on paper my interpretation of their universal and timeless beauty, leaving room for softness and the uncontrollable nature of watercolor. —
About the artist
Sarah PiroSarah Piro is a French self-taught watercolor artist and architect. Initiated in drawing from an early age by her painter mother, Piro has been immersed in the art world since childhood, growing up with a pencil between her fingers.
During her architecture studies, she continued to practice drawing and participated in many drawing workshops in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Australia. Her sketchbook always in her bag, she never stops observing the buildings around her, and her passion for travel is endless. After completing her studies, and having always had a great sensitivity for the old stones, Piro continued her professional development in the conservation of architectural heritage. In addition to her activity as an architect in Paris, she continues to develop her artistic skills by further exploring the fascinating medium of watercolor. In February 2020, Piro participated in her first Parisian exhibition titled In the City, in which the artist highlighted her architectural watercolors. Today, she responds to all kinds of commissions, from the individual client to the company, primarily for illustrations of urban landscapes.
Contact at
sarahquarelle@gmail.com
www.sarahquarelle.wixsite.com/sarahquarelle