Manuel, Watercolorist

Above, "Habitation route de Balata" ("House on Balata road")

A local free publication, Maisons Creoles, published an article in its latest issue on a Martinican watercolorist, Manuel. I was struck by the prettiness of his watercolors, the meticulous brush strokes. The Antilles, with its picturesque houses, luxurious nature, the abundance of colors, all seem to make the the Antilles the perfect subject for painting.

Above, "Mémoire et soleil" ("Memory and sun")

Above, "Yoles en course devant les pitons du Carbet" ("Racing skiffs past the peaks of the Carbet")

I often find watercolors overly sweet, as if each brushstroke were lace-trimmed and the painting backed with a doily. This isn't very different from the paintings of Manuel. Even shacks and lean-to's made from corrugated sheet metal look downright cozy. It is difficult, however, to entirely ignore the sentimentality, and there is something pleasing to see one's (new) home depicted as a charming idyll.

Above, "Femme entrant dans la case" ("Woman entering the shack")

Visit Manuel's site to see more of his work.