Paintings on silk(private collections in Canada/India/France)
MARCH 2013
Upcoming Event
Exhibition at Galerie le 1040
Review of Some Recent Events
Benefit Art Show with Zonta and Opimian
Exhibition at Atelier Quartz
Cobourg Waterfront Festival
Other Topics
Painting on Silk
Quotes on Art
Dear friends,
It's newsletter time again and I am happy to share with you my artistic activities of the past months. Many of you have recently joined my newsletter list, so I thought of including a section on "Painting on Silk".
At present I am preparing for the exhibition at the end of May. This is a bit of a challenge due to the weather. The actual painting work can only be done in a well-ventilated space and the freezing Montreal winter temperatures makes it impossible to keep the windows open for long periods.
I have noticed that when everything is white and colorless around me (view from my atelier is shown below), I feel a stronger urge to paint, and to use bright colors! So painting work continues, but slowly and cautiously, at least until spring. This is the time to concentrate on framing as well as planning and administrative work.
A big thank you to all the people who visited my exhibitions and purchased original paintings and giclée canvas prints from me. I hope you are enjoying them in your homes and offices.
Upcoming Events
Exhibition at Galerie le 1040
The next art show is scheduled for the end of May 2013, when I will be holding a solo exhibit at Galerie le 1040.
This will be my fourth exhibition in this beautiful gallery. Invitations will be sent in May to all who have registered on my website, as well as to those who have attended recent art shows and/or have shown interest in my style of work.
I look forward to welcoming you, along with your family and friends, at this event.
Review of Some Recent Events
Benefit Art Show
The Benefit Art Show, hosted by the Zonta Club of Montreal and sponsored by the Opimian Society, was a wonderful one-evening event in January. Despite the fact that Winter decided to throw one of her coldest nights at us, a number of brave souls ventured out and into the warmth of a lively gathering in the Opimian Gallery.
It was a privilege to collaborate with Zonta and Opimian and I am very grateful for the assistance and generous support I received. Special thanks to all the members of the Zonta Club of Montreal, particularly Ms. Mickey Ellen Wernecke (President), Ms. Yvonne Quintyn, and Dr. Dolly Dastoor, as well as to the General Manager of the Opimian Society in Montreal, Mr. Pierre Chanzonkov, for making this such an enjoyable evening. Zonta received 30% of all sales towards their local projects supporting women and families. The Opimian Society sponsored the venue and the delicious wines.
Exhibition at Atelier Quartz
For this two-day exhibition at Atelier Quartz in West-Montreal I exhibited original paintings only and did not include other items from my catalog, such as giclée canvas prints and greeting cards. The gallery is well-located and several passers-by dropped in and enjoyed the exhibition.
Cobourg Waterfront Festival
Participating in the Rotary Arts & Crafts section of the Cobourg Waterfront Festival from June 30th to July 2nd 2012 was an enjoyable, as well as challenging, experience. As my booth was in the arts and crafts section, only giclée canvas prints and miniature paintings were displayed.
The venue and the weather were great, as can be seen from the photos below.
Painting on Silk
My first painting on silk was done in October 1987 in Berlin, Germany. This was a time when several colleagues were painting silk scarves and I wanted to try out painting on silk. A colleague supplied me with a few paints, a couple of paintbrushes, a small piece of silk, and a wooden frame.
That evening, I made a quick copy of a small print of a painting by Claude Monet (see below), using the limited colors at my disposal.Magical moment! The first brushstroke on this extraordinary material, and I was hooked! I had experienced watercolors, oils, and acrylics, but working with silk was (and continues to be) very special. Silk is a natural fabric with its own unique softness and luster, and, at the same time, it is extremely durable and strong.
The early paintings were single-layered works but I soon tired of this and started experimenting with multi-layered paintings. This meant painting on the stretched silk over and over again, trying to create artwork with depth - offering the viewer a space to "travel" within the painting. Whether I paint miniatures or large works, the ability to have a feeling of depth is an important criterion.
There are many types and qualities of silk and all react differently when paint is applied. When I paint, I need to work quickly and intuitively.I use a combination of silk paints (in contrast to silk dyes) and acrylics to get special effects. A painting usually takes several weeks to complete.
Quotes on Art
As the quotes on art in my previous newsletter were appreciated by so many of you, I would like to share a few more (including those from my favourite artists, Claude Monet and Wassily Kandinsky):
It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
~ Henry David Thoreau
In nature, light creates the colour. In the picture, colour creates the light.
~ Hans Hofmann
Critic asks: 'And what, sir, is the subject matter of that painting?' - 'The subject matter, my dear good fellow, is the light.'
~ Claude Monet
The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.
~ Paul Strand
The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning. ~ Wassily Kandinsky
Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye. it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.
~ Edvard Munch
You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?
~ George Bernard Shaw
Abstract art requires something of the viewer. It demands contemplation. Study. Flights of fancy.Feeling. ~ Svante Rydberg
If you have any questions about my artwork, please do not hesitate to contact me. Also, please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.
With gratitude for your continued support,
all my best wishes,
Firooza Aubry (Firoozyves)
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