Raffaele Ciccaleni came to us LIVE from Italy on Friday, November 4th via Zoom om zijn aquareltechnieken en favoriete kleurenpalet te delen.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Raffaele:

Waarom maak je kunst?

I‘ve always been drawing and painting (and playing) since I can remember, so making art has always been a way of expressing myself. No special goal to pursue or rules to follow, just a normal way of traveling through life. What has come out of that process may not have been actual “art” all the time of course, but it was the essence of that travel anyway.

Heb je een formele kunstopleiding gevolgd?

No, I only had a formal training for my main job, which was teaching. Now after retiring, I am a full-time working and teaching artist.

Wat inspireert je?

As for subjects, I mainly get inspiration from landscapes. As for creativity, everything can inspire me – books, art history, abstract words, fine art critics, students and teaching.

Naar wat voor muziek luister je tijdens het schilderen?

As a musician… I absolutely prefer a non-music environment while I paint. Do musicians usually look at artworks while composing music?

Heb je een mentor gehad?

My main cultural mentor was my University professor Gino Stefani, who taught of History of Music. He always suggested a semiologic approach to every field regarding communication and expression. He was a friend of the late Umberto Eco, whose University courses I also attended in the 1970s. My watercolor mentors are to be found in books by J.S. Cotman, E.Lear, J.W.M. Turner, E.Wesson, E. Seago, R. Hilder and J. Fletcher Watson. I have been fortunate enough to have some correspondence with the latter. Also Eastern contemporary masters, which we have only been able to know and follow on the web in the last decades, are of great inspiration.

Schildert u elke dag?

I do not paint every day. I need blank periods made up of  thinking and studying days. Then at a moment’s notice, I go paint!

Schildert u één stuk tegelijk of werkt u aan meerdere tegelijk?

I usually work on a piece at a time, but I often paint some pieces in one session – I do prefer to work very quickly! Sometimes I work after stating a concept or an inspiring idea-trigger, but I mostly go with the flow, especially en plein air.

Schildert u liever in een atelier of in de buitenlucht?

I do prefer to paint en plein air, but I feel like I am en plein air even indoors, since I never had a “true” studio.

Hoeveel basiskleuren gebruikt u?

I use very few core colors all the time, but I have been limiting myself to very restricted palette sets. In the last decades one of my main interests has been the effort to study, understand and exploit the lessons that color triads teach us painters. My perfect set is three colors, three brushes, and a water cup.

Buisjes, pannen of stokjes?

I prefer tube paints, though I sometimes also use pans when traveling – staying light is a must. It may seem funny, but tube paints are still preferable for quick sketches. I consider using sticks mostly for “filling” whole pans in special sets.

Wanneer weet je dat je werkstuk af is?

I know that a piece is finished… mostly too late! Only at this age am I beginning to let a painting flow and stand on its own in its “unfinished look” glory.

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Doe elke week online met ons mee voor een Een persoonlijk gesprek van dichtbij Met Daniel Smith CEO en eigenaar, John Cogley en gastkunstenaars van over de hele wereld. Op donderdag (14:00 uur Pacific Time) licht John verschillende kenmerken van onze producten toe en beantwoordt hij uw vragen. Op vrijdag (10:30 uur Pacific Time) vertelt een gastkunstenaar hoe hij of zij die kenmerken in de kunst verwerkt. Klik hier Voor de Zoom-links van de komende week.

Bekijk onze Facebookpagina Voor nieuws over aankomende gastartiesten of om eerdere opnames te bekijken. Elke Zoom-vergadering wordt ook opgenomen en gedeeld op onze website. YouTube-kanaal. De traditionele español is beschikbaar – selecteer het kanaal in español en Zoom.