ARTIVIEW by ARCHES® Patrick France, a watercolour artist from the Vosges region for whom watercolour painting is an outlet for expressive freedom
Patrick France grew up in the small town of Épinal, in the Vosges region of France. This artist with a passion for watercolour painting and local heritage has been inspired since childhood by the art and work of his father. After studying graphic design, he became an illustrator for the Imagerie d’Épinal; in 1999, he was awarded the title of ‘archaeological watercolourist’. His work combines watercolour, Indian ink and acrylics. It is inspired by both his travels and the landscapes of the Vosges region, with the creation of lively and luminous scenes. Patrick is a Maître Palm’Arts and enjoys sharing his passion. It was therefore only natural that he founded a watercolour school in Arches in 2010.
Introduce yourself briefly
My name is Patrick France, and I’m a watercolour artist. My collaboration with the Imagerie d’Épinal helped me gain recognition. I put my skills in drawing and composition to work for the Imagerie. The opportunity to practise watercolour painting in a more spontaneous way, with more intense pigments, gave me a new freedom of expression. I owed this new approach – marked by creativity, enjoyment and freedom in painting – to Roland Palmaerts, whose teaching and philosophy of letting go had a profound influence on me.
What techniques do you use?
In technical terms, at the Imagerie d’Épinal, I used watercolour ink – an approach I still find in my travel journals; it leans more toward drawing than painting.
Whether at the watercolour school or simply for my own enjoyment, I now favour a much freer approach, allowing the pigments and the water to interact as they will.
This great freedom fuels my creativity, which is what fascinates me today: I can explore light through the interplay of shadows and warm and cool colours and also experiment with various techniques. I don’t have to systematically rely on drawing but can simply let the water guide the result.
In your opinion, who is the greatest artist of all time? Why?
There are lots of artists who speak to me, and whom I greatly admire. I’ll never forget the day I stood in front of Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ in Amsterdam. To be honest, it was really overwhelming! It made a lasting impression on me; I thought it was stunning.
There are plenty of other artists I adore, but they tend to be the ones you find in art history books.
As far as I’m concerned, the artist who’s most influenced my career and whom I consider to be one of the greatest in Belgium is Roland Palmaerts. He taught me to paint without drawing, using simple shapes, and I’d like to pay tribute to him through this interview. There are so many great artists, but only a few have a real influence on our lives. My connection with Roland Palmaerts grew into a friendship and a genuine dialogue, far beyond a traditional student-teacher relationship, with the passing on of essential foundations. Even when I had the technique down, I sometimes didn’t fully understand what made a piece succeed or fail; Roland gave me the keys to move forward. His explanations often sparked those ‘aha!’ moments – the ones that suddenly make everything click. Those little details make all the difference, especially when it comes to teaching watercolour, and I owe that to him.
What are the subjects that inspire you?
The subjects that inspire me include landscapes, nature and the human body. Actually, there are lots of things I want to put down on paper. And I’m naturally curious, so painting – whether in watercolour, acrylics or any other medium – opens up many avenues of exploration for me.
What was your first experience of ARCHES® paper?
I’m from Épinal, which means I live just 10 kilometres from Arches. I’ve always worked on ARCHES® paper – my go-to paper for watercolour. I know it well; it’s a friend.
I can ask a lot of it, from challenging techniques like cutting into the paper to bolder methods that bring greater spontaneity to my watercolours. At the same time, its softness and 100% cotton composition produce exquisite blends – the gradients are simply perfect. That’s why I recommend it without hesitation; in my opinion, it’s the best paper in the world!
ARCHES® paper in one word?
A friend – a friend you can count on.
You use the cold pressed ARCHES® Aquarelle travel journal. What do you like about that format?
It’s very handy and easy to slip into any backpack or small suitcase. Once unfolded, it offers a large working surface that’s ideal for panoramic views and breaking free from traditional ‘postcard’ formats. What I particularly appreciate is its versatility: it can handle all kinds of techniques, from cutting away sections to very light washes, not to mention pencil work and graphic designs. The format is smartly designed; it feels substantial and is much more functional than a bound sketchbook, whose spine can sometimes interfere with the drawing process.
