From the studio: Margrit Perrin about her image for Hahnemühle’s Calendar Competition

Margrit Perrin, German-born Scottish artist, has painted one of the winning motifs of Hahnemühle’s Art Calendar 2016. More specifically: she made a collage. How she created her artwork which is the November motif she tells in our studio report.

The main medium for my painting was watercolour on Hahnemühle Anniversary Edition pad except for the tree trunks and leaves. The latter were created by covering the underside of the dried leaves with gesso (foundation primer) to make prints on the already finished painting. Some of these prints I left in the white gesso and others I painted with autumn colours until one of the leaves got stuck. Initially panic set in as to how to remove it; then I thought why not use the actual leaves themselves, which I then did. Of course as they had been dried they did not retain their golden autumn colours and I needed to freshen them up with watercolour or thin acrylic ink. I also followed their shape with a thin line either in black or white to create something like a 3D effect. The tree trunks were painted with a mixture of gesso, white and black gouache as well as golden watercolour by Schmincke. The reason was the same as with the leaves, I wanted their shape and texture to stand out from the flat background of the painting to emphasise the life that these trees and the movement of the leaves as well as the vibrant autumn colours represented within this linear and static grey background.

The painting depicts an actual street in Inverness and the birch trees are the only bit of nature in an otherwise built up urban area dominated by tarmac and cement. Even though their bases are covered with artistically arranged cement blocks, which add some positive consideration, these are still man made and indicate a restriction. I wanted to bring out the contrast by letting the leaves move freely across the painting. Ironically they also announce the onset of winter but for me this street would already experience winter in summer were it not for this small aspect of nature.

All 12 victorious motifs of this year´s painting competition on the topic “Animals” can be found on our website. Congratulations to all awarded artists and thanks to all who participated. They will get a creative package with Hahnemühle artist papers, artists paints by Schmincke and da Vinci artist brushes. We thank all the 400 artists who submitted a total of 900 images. From 35 countries came painted, drawn, printed or even collage motifs – such as “Urban Nature” by Margrit Perrin: