I am a French painter who has been exploring the multiple possibilities of watercolor for 30 years. Above all, I appreciate the concept of chiaroscuro—strong lights and powerful shadows, which bring out the dazzling whiteness of the paper. A lover of shapes, drawing, colors and the unexpected nature of watercolor, I look for worlds inspired by urban, industrial and artisanal life and by the beauty of certain landscapes. I like to share my vision of a familiar world—made of memories and sometimes nostalgia—through the light of a workshop, the ordinariness of an interior or fleeting memories.
Sabatier Contrebasse, watercolor on Saunders Waterford 100% cotton cold-pressed paper, 29½ x 22½" (74 x 57 cm) This painting depicts the instrument making workshop of Bernard Sabatier on Rue de Rome in Paris, France. This workshop was the starting point for fruitful work in artisan workshops. I stood amazed in front of the window: I had never seen such a dense tangle of shapes, one inside the other! There are hundreds of instruments, hung or stacked—violins, cellos, waiting for the care of the luthier. Intense aesthetic jubilation and tremendous inspiration. For this piece, I used dark Winsor yellow, permanent pink, Van Dyke brown, ultramarine blue and cerulean blue.
Charpente Chardon, watercolor on Hahnemühle cold-pressed paper, 15 x 15" (38 x 38 cm) This is a workshop in the French Alps from another time, which propels me into a not-so-distant past. All the tools are driven by the hydromotive force of a paddle wheel behind the wall. A single electric wire that illuminates the two lamps reminds me of modern times. I used dark Winsor yellow, permanent pink, Van Dyke brown, ultramarine blue and cobalt blue.
There are two major traits that I focus on in my painting. The first is drawing, which has always been my passion and my freedom. Once the drawing is in place, everything is more fluid. My second priority is paying attention to areas of contrast and shadows. I begin my watercolors by focusing on a gradation of tones, which helps create the illusion of depth and three-dimensionality, as well as space and the presence of the characters. The world is revealed to us by the light, which I strive to capture.
Le velo de Jullianges, watercolor on Hahnemühle cold-pressed paper, 15 x 15" (38 x 38 cm) The grandfather is no more, and his bike was forgotten there. Here it was the abstractions of the marvelous light projections on the ground and the ellipses of the bicycle wheels that caught my attention. The sun revolves around the stationary bicycle. For this painting, I used dark Winsor yellow, permanent pink, transparent orange and ultramarine blue.
Sous les Pins, watercolor on Hahnemühle cold-pressed paper, 19¾ x 19¾" (50 x 50 cm) Here we are in the shade of umbrella pines on a hot summer day in Provence, France, amidst the song of cicadas and the smell of rosemary. The “mas” (the name of Provencal houses), with partly closed shutters, keeps a sense of freshness. I think that the umbrella pine was created especially for painters; it is elegant, graphic and pictorial. Like many others, I succumbed to its charm.
Then, I allow the color to play and mingle with the piece, revealing itself in both transparency and opaqueness. This is the beauty of watercolor. I do not necessarily paint the subject in front of me—yet, through painting the shapes of shadow, light and color, I perceive and reveal my subject. —
About the artist
Marc Folly
Watercolor artist Marc Folly was born in 1965 in Grenoble, France. Folly’s work has been included in numerous editions of publications like L’Art de l’Aquarelle, The Great Watercolor Book and Pratiques des Arts. He has shown his paintings in exhibitions across France, the United Kingdom, the United States and China. Folly currently lives in Irigny near Lyon, France, and leads workshops in the United States every year. Learn more at www.riversideartworkshops.com and www.ingridsartoriginals.com.
Contact at
mf@marc-folly.com
www.shop.marc-folly.com