EXPO Les Artistes des Pays-Bas: RECOMMENDED

VERY BEAUTIFUL EXHIBITION. OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER

Try to visit this one, I recommend it, because it is truly great to see all that diversity and quality artwork. And by the way, things are moving, there is so much sold already! Some of the dutch Hangar students are exhibiting, but also teachers Nelly, Pim and yours truly have work there!! It is interesting to see that the three of us clearly have similarities in the sizes and the importance of colour in our paintings, yet our works are so different!

Click on the pictures for a closer view

 Nelly's two paintings - large sizes, very symbolic. The one on the right (Sacrifice au dieu) shows an African woman with two dolls between her breasts. This refers to an African tradition, to give a woman who lost a child a doll, that she has to take care of (feed, clean, dress) for at least 6 weeks. This woman lost twins. And there is so much more in the painting that is open to interpretation - you can look at it for hours and it makes you think...

Pim has two abstracts, large size, colourful and with shapes that cannot really be defined or understood. The titles are 1 and 2 so it is completely open for everyones interpretation. Just stand in front of it and see what it does to you. Very interesting!

Marina (yours truly) is a bit in between: I am still on a path to somewhere I don't yet quite know - researching, trying out and totally enjoying the ride - as you will be able to see from my paintings!! I will show it on my facebook page and website, and if you visit I am sure you will see it, as it is very hard to miss! ☺

***Note that all of the above is my interpretation - feel free to leave your opinions and criticism in the comments section!!

Tuesday Mornings: the Oil group with Nelly van Hijfte

Like Pim's, Nelly's class has also continued during the summer! Nelly's Oil class is 'Atelier Libre', which means that everyone brings their own materials, and subject. Nelly is always there, to inspire, advise and help. And as you can see below, there's a wide variety of styles and techniques. The pictures shown are of finished and almost finished work

 and Nelly found the time to work on a painting of herself!!

 Claudi's almost finished work

Jacqueline

 Arnaud

 Helen's finished!

and so is Charmian...

Chinese Painting: Looks so easy - but is it ?

Pauline Bull hosted the Chinese Painting Workshop today. Watching her paint the flowers and bamboo - it just seemed so easy. Her brush would just run away on the rice paper and produce the most delicate flowers and bamboo.

But is it easy ? I am sure the participants in todays workshop will agree that it takes a lot of practise to produce the results Pauline has.

The students patiently practising their strokes

They are beginning to get it after many hours practise

For the oil painters it seemed strange using the runny paint and floppy brushes

A demonstration of how to loosely hold the brush and let it flow over the paper

Simple flowers - quickly done

Demonstration by Pauline

The Pure Nature Expo in Valbonne - day 1

Today, Monday 7 October, was the first day of 'accrochage' for the artwork of the Hangar artists! The Oil and Watercolours/drawing groups brought in their work and arranged the panels. It was a lot of work, but in the end as always totally rewarding - it already looks very good! Tomorrow Pim's groups will put up their acrylics and then it will be perfect!

Here are some pictures:

Collages with light behind them by Sunni... 

You will see them at the entrance, they are absolutely gorgeous

 'Jesus' on the cross, overgrown with ivy - a conceptual artwork by Devas. Here still on the floor, from tomorrow it can be admired on the back wall. This sculpture will change during the exhibition and I will post about it...

Aquarelles by Cathie van der Stel - in the background some oils ready for putting up

 Watercolours of roses by Edith Alborni - and more oils against the wall... On this picture you can clearly see what a wonderful space the Salle St Esprit actually is!

 

More by Devas: a pastel drawing of 'Marie-Jo'

Two more works by Edith Alborni - and two fruits (one of them the stunning grapes from the poster) by Agnes McLaughlin on the right...

 

Hopefully the Acrylics group takes pictures too, then you'll have a post on the total exhibition tomorrow, otherwise I will take pictures this Wednesday (9 October) when we officially open our doors...!!

Lunch with the oil and watercolour group

Last Tuesday, Nellie's oil class and Marina's watercolour class came together for their annual summer lunch.

On a beautiful June day, over twenty classmates, along with Arie, Sherry (back from the States) and Rosemary, Brenda's guest, enjoyed an al fresco party.

Everyone contributed a plate of food or wine resulting in a delicious spread and a very good time was had by all as you can see from the photographs taken by Brenda.

Aquarelle - Tuesdays 2 - 4.30 pm Marina Kulik

Tuesday 10 January - New Years' Lunch & Aquarelle light 

To kick off the new year, Nelly's oil class, together with the Aquarellistas had an impressive, extensive and great tasting lunch with excellent wine, bread, meats, fish, vegetables, all kinds of pies, cheese, super desserts, chocolate and coffee... It lasted a bit longer that usual (ha ha) and I had foreseen that and prepared for a lighthearted aquarelle session to get us started after a long break!  

The present group-of-nine worked pretty hard on 'Jokes', blow-ups of funny, one-image cartoons. There's only one completely finished yet - that I'll keep for next week's post, and the rest will be finished in our coming session. They look very promising to say the least!!

Apart from working on a funny cartoon, Lesley Bufton finished a picture she started last year - and
we all agreed it has come out stunningly beautiful and strong.

Credits: Inspired by Claire Schroeven's painting titled 'Four Windows'

Oil painting on Tuesday 22 March 2011 -- Nelly van Hijfte

Nelly's class continues to be productive and this week the impressionists scored very highly...

Valbonne has attracted artists over centuries and we continue the tradition as June Howarths presents a lovely, loose view of people coming through the archway in Valbonne heading for lunch in Eugene Rea's  beautiful, sunny Auberge Provencale restaurant in the square.

Jenny Vonk used a palette knife to create her ethereal figure standing in a grotto, full of colour and texture.

Preferring surrealism this week, Charmian Murley took inspiration from Lewis Carroll - "'The time has come', the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things - of shoes and ships and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings - and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings"'

The last of Nelly's cloud painting class was completed by Dominique Billiard.

--by Charmian Murley

Oil painting on Tuesday 8 March 2011 -- Nelly van Hijfte

Sherry Spetz continued working on her cloud background from Nelly's wet-on-wet class to create these fabulous and funny 'Fish on holiday'!

Chris Herlicq finished her lovely golden angel today

Betty Schep her beautiful flowers on a black ground.

Immediately recognisable as a 'Veronique Vandenhoeck', the voiles drifting in this cool interior remind one of warm summers past  - and hopefully to come!

Vanessa Rea rose to the challenge of having to paint with her left hand having broken her right wrist and was very successful in producing these colourful, fluid, landscapes.  Perhaps we should all try loosening up in this way by using the 'wrong' hand and other side of the brain - but hopefully without breaking an arm first.

It will be the asparagus season soon and in advance of that, this bunch, painted by Trish Morris, look good enough to eat.

To round off a beautiful set of paintings from Nelly's class is the glorious Venetian Sunset by Helen Humphrey.

by Charmian Murley

Oil painting on Tuesday morning

a large abstract in Veronique Vandenhoek's trademark neutrals

a bright view of houses by the sea by Jacqueline Degeorges

Namibian lady by Charmian Murley

Nelly's class is an atelier libre and as the pictures show, it is very exciting to see the range of ideas that people have and the different techniques they use to express themselves.  We see how the other students work so we learn from them too.

by Charmian Murley

NELLY’S TUESDAY MORNING OIL CLASS

Abstract in oil by Charmian Murley

Tuesday mornings see a group of, on average, some 12 or so enthusiastic oil painters arrive for Nellie’s ‘Atelier Libre’.  As the choice of subject and technique is free, it is always interesting to go round and see what the other students are creating and what methods they are using.   

June and Avril discussing their work

From each other you learn a lot and dare to experiment with Nelly always on hand to gently advise, suggest and help when asked – but she never criticizes!  

Prof Nelly van Hijfte (R) and Trish Jones

 From time to time Nelly sets up a special class to study a particular technique or style or painting for those who are interested. 

Ladies (in Paris?) by Claudine Delaney

For the rest of the time only your imagination sets the limits.

Chameleon I by Charmian Murley

This is a very social group, always starting with coffee and cake before getting down to the real business of the day – creativity in oil.

Véronique Vandenhoeck enjoys her Tuesdaymorning...

Chris Herlicq

Dominique Billiard

Sherry Spetz