Watercolour artist Pascale Rentsch on braving the elements for her work

Come rain or shine, and often both at the same time, watercolour artist Pascale Rentsch embraces whatever elements the Scottish weather throws at her.

Preferring to work in the open air rather than an indoor studio, she packs her paints into a trolley and heads out to our most stunning scenery to capture nature in all its rugged beauty – even if the wind threatens to whisk away her canvas or the cold freezes her palette.

Relying on instinct and spontaneity, she’s guided by whatever reaches out – whether that be a glimmer of light, a bright flower in dark foliage or the particular way the waves hit a rock.

“I like the unpredictability and not having 100% control,” she explained.

“Maybe it’s so windy that it moves my brush and makes a certain mark, or splashes happen because I need to move fast. It all becomes an organic happening of that particular moment.

“I like to feed off from atmospheres and the wind picking up, or the rain suddenly coming down, or the birds calling in the sky.”

‘It’s free exercise’

Pascale, based in East Lothian, is part of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) annual exhibition, which opened in Edinburgh this weekend.

She’s one of many artists innovating, exploring and evolving the artform in compelling and creative ways.

So much so that, when out and about, she’s even been approached by police to see what she’s up to.

The exertion of her work also means that she doesn’t need a gym membership.

“I’m literally exhausted afterwards,” she laughs. “I give everything; my heart, my soul and sometimes it’s hard work with my trolley! It’s free exercise. It takes a lot out of you.

“I also love meeting people you wouldn’t normally meet and the brief conversation.

“I had the council thinking I’m fly tipping because I’m quite messy when I paint outdoors because everything’s really quick!

“I meet some fantastic people. A lady approached when she was out squeezing buckthorn. Her name is Willow and she sent me a bottle of her hand-pressed juice.

“That’s what’s important in life. The connection with nature and with people, it makes the world go round.”

The RSW's latest exhibition is open now. — The RSW’s latest exhibition is open now.

Originally from Switzerland, Pascale had a love for drawing and painting from an early age.

When John Philip Busby, the late influential wildlife artist, put on a course at a studio in Bern, she plucked up the courage to phone up and ask about a place.

They were full, but because she was just 16 they found a space for her.

Busby worked out of East Lothian, and Pascale would eventually visit Scotland as a teenager for his courses in North Berwick and trips to the Bass Rock.

She went on to study at Brighton University and Edinburgh College of Art, and has lived in Scotland since the mid 1990s.

“There’s a real honesty I felt about the Scottish landscape,” she said. “I like to feel the weather and see it changing. You become part of the landscape.

“If everything’s always pretty and nice in the mountains, it just doesn’t do it for me. I want to feel the difficulty – that’s when I come alive.”

Lockdown brought art back to the centre of Pascale’s life after having two children pushed painting down in the list of priorities.

“I lost my identity and things were quite difficult,” she admits. “What lockdown gave me was a chance to refocus and try things out.

“There was a local poppy field, so I used to go there on my bike with my panniers on the side with all my art materials, and spend my time painting.

“I’ll never forget that because it gave me that opportunity to give it more emphasis. Before, painting was just a sort of add-on.”

‘There’s always hope’

When explaining the power that her connection with nature brings, Pascale can feel the emotions rising.

“It does tap into something beyond that you can’t explain, something very deep, and when you hit that point, I’m in a different world. I really appreciate being able to do that.

“Sometimes you’re in the middle of a storm, it’s really hard work, and you just do one thing at a time. One step at a time. At the end of the storm it goes and you see that light.

“In nature you always find hope, even in the biggest storm, no matter where you are or how difficult things are. I can live and experience it and for that I’m very grateful.”

The RSW’s exhibition of over 350 works has just opened at the RSA Upper Galleries in Edinburgh, across the hall from the National Galleries of Scotland’s annual exhibition of Turner watercolours.

As well as showing the work of members, the exhibition includes more than 100 paintings by non-members.

“To be around these works and see how watercolour can be used in so many different ways gets me excited,” Pascale, who is part of the RSW’s organising group, said.

“It’s vibrant, bright, spontaneous and loose and then you have more delicate, precise ways of using watercolour which is equally beautiful.

“It is so flexible. Like a conductor who does a piece of music, watercolour is your friend, you can use it and mould it in in the way you want. That’s what I really like.

“People are going to have such a treat, I’m excited for them to visit.”

The 143rd Open Annual Exhibition of the RSW, Upper Galleries, Royal Scottish Academy, Princes Street, Edinburgh, 13th January – 6th February 2024. rsw.org.uk