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Emil Nolde is one of the most famous 20th century German Expressionists. Expressionists like Nolde distort pieces to create certain moods and ideas. Nolde creates his work through expression and emotional meaning rather than physical reality which explains why his pieces are not completely realistic. What interests me is that Nolde adds his own personal style and depicts his emotions in his paintings. I feel it gives more meaning behind his work, and a cheerful mood is portrayed in his paintings. However, some of his pieces give a striking and abstract effect as Nolde uses clashing colours and exaggerated distortions of shapes.

Emil Nolde's work includes many paintings under the topic of flowers, and uses his own style; his vigorous use of brushstrokes captivated my attention, but it was especially his use of bright, expressive colours such as golden yellows and strong reds which struck me. Unlike Janet Fish’s style (an American Realist artist) in which she paints using shapes, forms and lines, Emil Nolde experiments with different ways of portraying detail other than using completely realistic images and painting a direct copy. I believe that when studying Emil Nolde, you begin to understand how to incorporate detail in a different manner. He paints numerous of his pieces using watercolours, meaning colours merge together and a ‘blurred’ effect is given. However, the merging of colours creates detail and brushstrokes are added which gives layering of colour.

Nolde’s use of striking colours and subject matter could be linked with and reflect his interest in the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh is well known for his use of bold and powerful use of colour and his famous paintings of flowers, particularly his famous ‘Sunflowers’. The brightness and the way they are painted with thick brushstrokes, can be linked with Nolde’s work.

As well as using watercolours, Emil Nolde also widely uses oil paints which help achieve the vibrant strokes of colour. I have also experimented painting Emil Nolde’s work using ink over the top of watercolours. When you do this, you are able to achieve different effects because if the watercolours haven’t fully dried, the ink will merge into them whereas you can be more precise with detail once the watercolours have dried. Also, the contrast between the more luminous and bold use of the ink against the fading watercolours can work brilliantly. The conclusion is that you will find amazing ways of re-creating paintings, not only using the same material as the artist, but by being creative and thinking of new ways to create art. 

Image URL: http://arttattler.com/Images/Europe/Germany/Baden%20Baden/Museum%20Frieder%20Burda/Emil%20Nolde/12-Nolde_Rote_und_gelbe_Sonnenblumen.jpg