Francien Krieg - The soft ground

To the future owner:

The paint in the landscape is applied freely and fluidly. Various greens, browns, blues, and small orange-red traces lie over and next to each other, so the ground is not a flat background but a tangible surface. Some leaves and blades of grass are only indicated with a single brushstroke; in other places several layers are painted over each other.
The body is built up more calmly, with softer transitions in pink, peach, lilac, and cool blue. Yet the movement of the brush remains visible there as well, especially around the neck, hands, and shoulders. The contrast between the looser, thicker paint of the landscape and the more closed skin gives the work its tension.
A spot with soft side light best reveals the relief of the growth and the small color traces. On a light wall the silhouette becomes clearer; against a darker or earthen wall the figure seems to sink further into the landscape. Give the work ample space and avoid direct sunlight.
The Soft Ground, for me, is about the moment you stop resisting gravity. The boy does not simply lie on the earth; he seems to be cradled by it. His body relaxes, but his gaze remains present. The ground here is not a hard boundary, but a place where you may put down your weight for a moment.
olieverf op masonite paneel 0,6 cm

I paint the body at moments when the mask shifts. In old skin, young bodies, boxers, drifting figures and quiet portraits I search for vulnerability, strength and the traces of time. My work is not about perfect beauty, but about the human moment when someone is momentarily visible.

. For those who enjoy not only seeing the final result but also the search behind it, there is more to follow via @francienkrieg.

I like to make portraits of young men and adolescents because in that stage of life something special is visible: a vulnerability that the world has not yet hardened. Their faces and bodies carry a sense of indeterminacy – they are not fully formed yet, but full of promise and possibilities. What interests me is precisely that in-between moment: no longer a child, not yet a man. In that transition lies a beauty I want to capture, the openness of what can still be and the fragile realization that this stage lasts only a short time.

All series – from self-portraits and aging bodies to young male boxers, women at sunset and intimate scenes with cats – can be found on my website, where you can also read more about my background and motives:
www.francienkrieg.com

I work exclusively with high-quality materials: professionally prepared linen or smooth panels, and oil paint of top quality, rich in pigment. Each work is made with care and dedication – intended to endure for a long time, not only in material but also in meaning."