MarinaTeding vanBerkhout

It all started when...

I discovered the cold wax medium!

I am a Dutch artist living in Plascassier, in the South of France. I have always been a creative person who loves to draw, paint and create things. After being a water colour painter for years, I switched to oils and painted mostly detailed portraits in oils. Although I loved working in oils, I felt like I was copying a reference picture rather than expressing myself.

In search of other painting techniques, I stumbled on painting with cold wax medium which was completely new to me. I was fascinated by the beautiful paintings that can be made by using the cold wax techniques. Creating history in a painting in an impressionist way with colours shining through different layers is exactly what I love and what I was looking for.

I started to read everything I could find about the cold wax techniques and ordered one tiny pot of wax to try. Many, many pots have been used ever since - I got completely hooked on the process which fitted me like a glove. Layering, scraping back and rebuilding a painting is just what I love to do. For me the process of building up a painting is so much more interesting than a simple copy of a picture. During my research into cold wax medium, I found many abstract painters using the cold wax medium technique but hardly any figurative painters. By experimenting and exploring the medium thoroughly I found my own unique style. I became quite obsessed with it and adapted the techniques to my own creative figurative process, creating abstract backgrounds before adding a figure or a face.

Many of my students asked if it was possible to mix cold wax medium with acrylics, but unfortunately, traditional cold wax can't be mixed with acrylics. So, I did some research and found a water-based cold wax that creates the same effects as cold wax with oils! Now, I use both and enjoy the unique qualities of oil and acrylics.

I am a very perfectionist person but I love the imperfections in my paintings and I often create them on purpose by scratching through a perfectly done eye or mouth.

My process

Whether I paint in oils and cold wax medium, or in acrylics and cold wax, I start my paintings with several base layers in one colour which I use to create textures by using stencils and other texture tools. After these base layers have dried thoroughly (I like them drier than just "dry to the touch"), I paint an abstract layer full of colour which I call my "busy" layer. To this layer I often add pigments or pan pastel or scribble with Neocolour II's.

I don't have a face or a figure in mind but I am waiting for the painting to tell me which way to go. I almost always see a face or a figure appearing in my "busy" background, which I find magical! When I see a face or a figure, I search in my files for a reference picture, a face or a figure that is in the same position as the one I see in my background. I do this because I like the features to be correct, so I only use the reference picture for the features and invent the rest. I draw the face on the "busy" background with a soft pastel and start building up the face or figure and integrate it with the background.

I am a "slow" painter. I paint, contemplate (a lot), add more paint, scrape back or even change the subject completely during the process when I don't connect with the subject, which you can see in these two YouTube videos:

The making of Lily Rose

The making of the girl with the golden earring

Inspiration

I live in the south of France and my surroundings are the source of my inspiration. Old crumbled walls, weathered shutters and the beautiful light translates itself into my own unique painting process. My studio is my happy place, where I can get away from busy family life (especially during the pandemic!) and where I can work on several paintings at the same time. Surrounded by olive trees and lavender, with the beautiful light of the south of France makes this place extra special. Visit my studio here!

Subjects

I am passionate about painting portraits and figures. I love capturing a face or a figure without too many details but expressing an emotion with the tilt of their head or the look in the eyes. I like to give my figures and faces a sort of abstract but dreamy vibe by leaving out the details and leave room for the viewer to make his own story. It is a constant fight to find the right balance between too detailed and not detailed enough. Scratching and scraping is an important part of my process!

I love to share my process without holding anything back and teach classes and workshops, in person and online.

I am very honoured that my paintings are bought by collectors from all over the world.