Marie-Helene Brohan Delhaye

I am a self-taught contemporary watercolour artist and an urban sketcher. No artist exists in a vacuum, though. I have learned so much from many artists. In particular, from Uma Kelkar, a wonderful artist and teacher.

I paint in what is called “direct watercolour”, a process that entails no preliminary drawing, using the fluid properties of watercolour, letting pigments mix on the page, and taking risks. Most of my watercolours are completed with a maximum of two washes. I use on-location sketches and my own photographs for inspiration.

My semi-abstract landscapes express my love for Ireland - the sea, the sky, the geology and the light. Places that resonate strongly with me, I find myself revisiting in my art again and again, such as the glow of a sunset over the Atlantic, or the feeling of mist rolling down a mountain. Every watercolour I paint is a specific location and moment in time. Painting these memories transports me to another place.

Neuro-divergent people often see the details first, before seeing the bigger picture. It’s only in the last few years that I have understood this about myself and how it influences my art. As I can be overwhelmed by everything in a scene, I focus on a detail - a glimpse of the light, a rock, a cloud, a wave, … I then build my paintings from the inside out from those moments that catch my attention.

I don't remember drawing as a child. I do remember my colouring books, though, and colour has always remained the most important element of my work.