This month, Nathalie, Headteacher at Cygnets Glasgow Southside, talks to us about her favourite artist and why – and we have a feeling quite a few other people might share this favourite too…
Claude Monet is my favourite artist because I love the atmospheric, dream-like quality of his paintings. His work feels like it really captures the energy of a place, and I specifically love his sunset scenes. I like the way he captures light and how his paintings can feel calm and peaceful while simultaneously being full of movement and colour. His artwork really stood out to me when I learned about him in art school, and many museum visits in the years that followed really consolidated this for me – especially Musée d’Orsay and Musée de L’Orangerie in Paris.
Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son, Jean Monet (1875)
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Monet was one of the founders of Impressionism, which was an art movement focused on capturing a moment and the changing effects of light rather than painting in a hyperrealistic style. Impressionist artists were interested in how colours and light change throughout the day, depending on the weather, season, and time. This resonates with me, and I also find this a source of inspiration on walks around my local parks in Glasgow Southside.
Something I also really like is that Monet often painted outside, which is called en plein air painting. He wanted to paint directly from life, and because light changes so quickly, he often had to work fast to capture that exact moment before it disappeared. This really contributes to his paintings feeling so lively. In today’s world, where it is so easy to work from photographs or online images, I think it is a really useful reminder of the value of going outside and looking directly at what is around you.
Monet mainly worked with oil paints and became known for using thick layers of paint and visible brushstrokes. Instead of blending his colours together on a palette first, he applied dabs of unmixed colour directly onto the canvas. He also never used black paint, but instead layered contrasting colours, creating depth without toning down the vibrancy.
Claude Monet, photographed by Félix Nadar, 1899.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
What inspires me most is that my own style is actually quite different from the artwork I am most drawn to create. I usually create very detailed work and can get really lost in hyperrealism and trying to make everything as accurate as possible. But when I think about the artwork I find most inspiring, it is usually work that captures a feeling rather than a perfect reproduction of something. I think that is something Monet does really well, and it is a good reminder for me that it’s okay to loosen up and experiment with different styles.
Monet’s work also shows the importance of a strong foundation in artistic skills. I find it really interesting to see how his style developed over time – he spent many years learning drawing and painting techniques, before Impressionism came into play. I believe that a strong basis of skills is what gives an artist the freedom to experiment and create their own personal style of artwork.
These are just some of the reasons Monet is my favourite artist. I’d always highly recommend going to galleries, and seeing the artwork for yourself. The National Gallery in London has a great selection of his works to explore!
