Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Winter Scenes -- Anders Andersson & Aud Rye


Winter Communication
watercolor, 11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm)
Anders Andersson


After Snowfall
watercolor, 22" x 15" (56cm x 38cm)
Aud Rye

Two Scandinavian artists -- Anders Andersson of Sweden and Aud Rye of Norway -- find inspiration for some of their work in the wintery scenes that surround them for months every year. While Anders takes a minimalist approach, using a soft palette and very spare imagery, Aud's use of color and detail reveals a much more romantic view of the landscape.

As a young child, Anders borrowed his mother's watercolor supplies to begin painting after watching her make watercolor sketches. By the time he reached the university, he was doing airbrush commissions and also worked as an airbrush artist painting custom t-shirts at the beach. His interest in watercolor was rekindled when his wife gave him the gift of a course in watercolor. He eventually met David Taylor and Joseph Zbukvic, two well-known Australian watercolorists and teachers, and credits them with awakening his passion for watercolor.

Anders Andersson's portfolio:

Cool Communications, 11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm)


Bonan, 15" x 22" (38cm x 56cm)


Winter Sleep, 30" x 15" (76cm x 38cm)


Ice, 7" x 15" (19cm x 38cm)


Winter Water, 15" x 22" (38cm x 56cm)


Aud had been doing freelance drawing and illustration work for magazines and books for many years when she quit her jobs to care for her terminally ill mother. To keep herself occupied and focussed on something positive, she read books on watercolor and taught herself to paint, eventually studying with Kari Unn Paye and Zoltan Szabo, among others. She established a school in her home studio and soon was teaching classes and workshops throughout Scandinavia and Europe. When she gave up the weekday classes, she began taping her worshop preparations, with the result that she has published more than 30 DVDs demonstrating her painting techniques. Aud is also co-author with Solveig Rimstad of Blomster, a book of floral paintings with illustrations of their watercolor techniques.

Aud Rye's portfolio:

Frost, 11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm)


Winter in Kragero, 17" x 11" (42cm x 11cm)


Winterscene, 15" x 22" (38cm x 56cm)


The River, 22" x 15" (56cm x 38cm)


The Creek, 15" x 11" (38cm x 28cm)


Please visit Anders' website (and be sure to check the link to his other site) to see a more extensive collection of his work. A visit to Aud's website will reveal the wide range of her watercolor interests as well (click on Akvareller to see her paintings).