Painting Makeover

A Painting Makeover

Student spotlight with Elisabeth Dewit

It’s been a while since I invited an artist for a student spotlight and today I’m delighted to welcome Elisabeth Dewit! Inspired by techniques from my online classes, Elisabeth turned a slightly dull painting into a really sensitive piece of art, full of strength and depth. The castle featured in her painting is called Hautefort (you might recognize it from Ever After… one of my favorite movies!). Here is the finished painting after the makeover, and Elisabeth shares the steps of its journey below. Enjoy!

The painting’s story

Hautefort is a castle in the region of Dordogne, in Western France. Holiday memories… This landscape brings me a sense of peace, with the castle, the village and the pond below, where I can watch a whole little aquatic world, birds of prey often circling in the sky.

This is one of my earliest paintings, back in 2012. Very academic, with contrasting colors, a bit clumsy. I wanted to rework this painting but I didn’t feel confident enough. The foreground, in particular, really bothered me. How could I improve it?

**The original painting before the makeover…**

Last year, I found out about Laly Mille’s art, and her sensitive approach really spoke to me. Her online class Layers of Light was a true revelation. In this workshop I found something that had been missing from my artistic education : an emotional and more intuitive approach to art. Her other class, The Artist & the Journal, allowed me to let spontaneity flow, to explore new techniques and develop my own creativity without the fear of making a mistake.

When I discovered Laly’s river art (through a lesson in Wanderlust 2019) the idea came to me: I would turn the pond and the path into a turbulent river. Without any fear, I covered my whole painting with a coat of thinned down gesso. I started working on the river, gluing pebble-shaped papers at the bottom.

I traced the shore and enhanced the castle and village. Then I added several layers of color with paint, acrylic inks, collage, alcohol inks…

I enjoyed using different tools and supplies, letting a few words flow into the river and adding textured materials : fiber paper, barks, dried grasses, gauze. I completely immersed myself into the landscape, letting myself get carried away by the river.

**I started by adding a light coat of gesso to tone down the colors, hide the pond and the path. Then I created a river and gave it movement. The castle seemed surrounded by mist…**

**I added pebbles to the bottom of the river (an idea from Laly’s lesson!)**

**I added another coat of diluted gesso over the river, the pebbles fading under the water. Then I strengthened the shoreline.**

**I reworked the castle and the village, enhanced colors with acrylic inks and started working on the sky. Then I wrote a few words in the river…**

**I kept working on the colors of the sky, the river and the trees. I added another veil of white over the village and the castle, then added textured elements.**

**I added yet another coat of white over the whole painting. Using my palette knife, I applied the paint lightly to highlight the textures.**

**I worked the river bank with acrylic ink and added a few drops of alcohol ink to the sky and trees. Then I worked on the stormy sky…**

The river looked a bit like a vertical wall to me. To make it feel more horizontal and deep, I toned down the shoreline, darkened the bottom of the painting and added a few finishing touches of pink and blue in the sky and in the river reflections.

The castle and the village are now standing strong and safe in the background, surrounded by light, like a symbol of eternity. In the foreground, a turbulent river carries branches along the wild shore. The sky is stormy and threatening, but it also has softer colors. Just like life: we go through times of peace and moments of doubt, anger, joy… Everything I've been through has shaped me into who I am today.

Elisabeth Dewit

Follow Elisabeth Dewit on Instagram: @elisabeth_dewit

I live in France in Asnières-sur-Oise, close to the Ile-de-France and Picardie regions

I’ve always been drawing, scribbling… without fully devoting myself to art. The first time I signed up for an art class to take “real” lessons, I was over 50. Then I took another class where I discovered acrylic painting. But I ended up feeling cramped in this practice, with too many constraints. I felt the need to make more personal art.

So I took a more solitary path, exploring new techniques, picking up ideas from here and there, taking a few more live workshops. And I discovered Laly’s art during my explorations on Pinterest.

I’m now retired. I wander around, letting myself be guided by curiosity, from art history to painting, yoga, books, walking in the forest and community life. My (rather large) family and a few close friends are the most important part of my life, my anchors and the source of so much joy. By opening new windows into the world, they broaden my horizon et help me dive deeper.

“... a turbulent river carries branches along the wild shore. The sky is stormy and threatening, but it also has softer colors. Just like life: we go through times of peace and moments of doubt, anger, joy… Everything I’ve been through has shaped me into who I am today. ”

— Elisabeth Dewit

Did you enjoy this blog?

I hope this makeover inspired you! What about you: do you maybe have an old painting cast away on a shelf, awaiting new life? Give it a try and surprise yourself! And please leave a comment for Elisabeth! We will both be so happy to read it.