About Guy Gruwier
I have always made drawings since my childhood. But it was not until 1972 that I attended the Municipal Art Academy of Ypres, the city where I was born in 1963.
Watercolour came later when I studied at the Municpal Art Academy of Brasschaat. But I still lacked knowledge of colors. In 2000, I met Robert Wade who showed me how to use them to obtain vibrant watercolors.
Robert also proposed me to publish an article in “International Artist”.
I was edited indeed in nrs. 20 and 23, and I got an immediate response from an Australian Artist Festival in Grafton who asked me to tutor a watercolour workshop. I agreed, and the workshop took place in 2005.
Malcolm Sime, an industry man from New Zealand but who loves Art invited me to come to NZ too, organized a workshop in his New Zealand Art Schools and a scenic touring through the country. Later I would be invited by Watercolour New Zealand (See Page 8 on this PDF) to tutor a watercolour workshop as well. Both events gave me thus the opportunity to discover Australia and New Zealand.
I have gained some international reputation as a watercolour teacher, and this has lead me to teaching in other countries like the Netherlands (2009 and 2016), France, Italy. Since 2003, I am a regular art class teacher in “Latems Creatief”. Also, I had other publications in Artist Magazines like in “L’art de l’Aquarelle”(nr.2) and in “Pratique des Arts” (nr.91) after receiving the prestigious award of the jury in the “Salon de l’Aquarelle de Namur” (2009) for a painting called “A Golden Meal”.
And finally, I have become a regular contributor to "Atelier magazine”, a Dutch Artist Magazine. Hereby a shortlist of publications :
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/At%20134-Kunstplaat%20(2).pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/At%20137.pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/Atelier%20140.pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/Atelier%20141.pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/Atelier%20142.pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/Atelier%20143.pdf
http://www.watercolour.be/docs/Atelier%20146.pdf
Currently I also make larger watercolour paintings on canvas which was prepared for water acceptancy. My themes are still atmospheric landscapes, especially in and around the Leie region. The Leie, also called the "Golden River", is still an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The remaining curves and hidden corners are for me the Romanticism of the 21st Century ! Also the Mandelbeek, which is a rivulet mouthing into the Leie, reflects a sublime form of Beauty.