Featured Art: Sacre Coeur

watercolor by Kay Duffy

“Sacre Coeur” by Kay Duffy, Santa Clara Branch (California)

Watercolor (30×22)

A resident of Saratoga for over 50 years, Kay Duffy exhibits her work and teaches watercolor and collage classes. The city of Saratoga presented one of her paintings to Saratoga’s sister city, of Muko-shi in Japan. In 2005, the Santa Clara County purchased a painting to present to its sister county of Florence, Italy. Two of Duffy’s orchard paintings are hanging in Saratoga’s Senior Center.

From the artist:

The freedom, spontaneity, and speed — the “wet and loose” — of watercolor suits my temperament. My approach is “juicy,” incorporating bright colors, broad strokes, and strong shapes to depict my feelings and impressions of the natural landscape, flowers and trees, buildings, foreign lands, and exotic places. Most enjoyable to me is the freedom of painting on location — en plein air. Inspiration for studio work comes from sketches and slides, taken while walking in community, working in my garden, hiking in the wilderness, or traveling in foreign lands.

My recent, more experimental work utilizes an original technique of texturing oriental papers with watercolor pigments. These papers are torn, arranged, and collaged to create interesting abstract images. I also use metallic foil, pastel, and opaque media to enhance the image.

9 comments

  1. Dianne says:

    Kay, That is absolutely Beautiful! The details and vibrant colors draw me in and I keep going back to look again and again.

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful depiction of the Sacre Coeur.

  2. Diane McDonough, Cape Cod Pen Women says:

    “Wet and loose,” “juicy,” and the architecture! How wonderful! Thank you for sharing.

  3. I love your painting and I love your words: “The freedom, spontaneity, and speed — the “wet and loose” — of watercolor suits my temperament. My approach is “juicy,” incorporating bright colors, broad strokes, and strong shapes to depict my feelings and impressions of the natural landscape, flowers and trees, buildings, foreign lands, and exotic places. Most enjoyable to me is the freedom of painting on location — en plein air. Inspiration for studio work comes from sketches and slides, taken while walking in community, working in my garden, hiking in the wilderness, or traveling in foreign lands.” We are working on a book of paintings and the story of my late mother-in-law, Georgeanna Lipe. May I quote you in our book?

  4. Mary Patricia Canes says:

    So beautiful. Enjoyed reading the Artist’s sharing about the way in which she paints and chooses what she paints.

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