Reference Stories
While often considered as studies, the watercolour paintings from Elisabeth Praastink Wessels are pertinently not. Rich with details and vibrant through the use of layer-over-layer watercolour paint, Praastink Wessels’ works show a divergent range of naturally found objects such as feathers, animals and shells. With a strong fascination for the beauty not just of nature, but also with its underlying mechanisms, Praastink Wessels questions the way animals have historically been used as symbols, and how these connotations have changed over time. By working in large formats, not only does she add to the liveliness of her subjects, but to the understanding that watercolour is a medium on its own.
While natural historical drawings are a primary influence, Praastink Wessels often lets go of painting true to nature. By working in series and allowing different colour schemes into her work, the paintings become more interpretative and allow for reconsideration of the symbolic nature of her subjects. By also paying attention to the design of her exhibition space, Praastink Wessels opens up the frame for further experiment, not simply representing the object shown, but also a deeper consciousness of the world she lives in.
-Menno Vuister
De schilderijen van Elisabeth spreken van rijke kleuren, gelaagdheid en details. Met een grote fascinatie voor natuur en zijn verborgen schoonheid; houdt zij van het vastleggen en transformeren van haar onderwerp.
Van symbool tot onderliggende mechanismes, Elisabeth onderzoekt haar onderwerp op zoek naar nieuwe en spannende ideeën.
Met Aquarel als haar vaste medium gebruikt ze unieke technieken waar potlood en penseel samenkomen.
De dromerige schilderijen van Elisabeth geven de kijker een blik in haar wereld.
Elisabeth Praastink Wessels werd in Nederland geboren en behaalde in 2020 haar Bachelor of Fine Art diploma aan de Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht.
-Gallery ArtFra
