The Year in Review

Farewell ’14. You were a good year. I can safely say I finished on a high with my solo exhibition at Sydney’s Mary Place Gallery. It far exceeded expectations with more than 200 coming to opening night alone, and more clustered outside in Paddington’s laneways. Buyers came from Balmain, Berry, Beechworth and beyond. Most importantly, new friends were made and the feedback was universally positive. Now it’s time to embrace the new, though it’s hard to reclaim one’s momentum after a show of this nature. A quick summary of ’14 before I close the books on my art year. Mid-year, I joined an art tour to France and Spain which netted considerable reward on the personal and professional level. I’m a great fan of art travel as an integral component of - the art of travel - even for those who have never lifted a brush. There are visits to museums, galleries, and in some instances, the homes of legendary painters in addition to expert instruction from the tour leader.

The painting program was choreographed by Sydney - based art educator and painter Pamela Fairbairn, and Trendsetter Travel. We started in the south of France staying first in Cap Ferrat, then St Paul de Vence. Side trips took us to the Matisse and Chagall museums in Nice, and the exquisite Villas Ephrussi, and Kerylos in Cap.

Another memorable sortie was to the home, studio and glorious olive grove of Renoir - an inspirational setting for our own painting and sketching. Another pilgrimage was to The Musee Picasso in Antibes. Many of us declared this a particularly meaningful highlight as we saw - most of us for the first time - an extensive collection of Picasso’s ceramics, sculptures, and linocuts.

Later that night we immersed ourselves in the heady glamour of the Cannes Film Festival – an artform unto itself where several of us had a brush of a different calibre - Fame. Uber designer Karl Lagerfeld nearly stood on my gown. Quel horreur.

And so to work on some serious painting. Classes were held in Henri Matisse’s house Villa Le Reve in Vence. It was impossible not to feel the presence of the master in its yellow and blue interior, with its distinctive aqua shutters and the familiar palm tree in his garden - all of which inhabited his paintings

We had a life model for drawing exercises as a preliminary for painting. These - and

other works were subsequently exhibited at Le Mas de Pierre in St Paul de Vence.

To Spain. Here we were headquartered in the exquisite Torre Del Visco - a sublime Relais & Chateaux property inland from Barcelona, but actually in Aragona. The Torre is poised in a lovely rural setting overlooking olive plantations, artfully-landscaped courtyards and rose gardens while in the distance looms a dramatic mountain range ever-changing with the light.

All of these components became subjects for painting sessions, either as botanical details, landscapes or preparation for abstract works; while indoors, there was no shortage of intimate little vignettes for still-life painting.

Throughout, my sturdy little concertina sketchbook became my constant travelling companion. I dashed off quick watercolour sketches that provided an excellent aide -memoire that led to larger works later on – or simply acted as a tender recollection of people and places I loved.

To kick off 2015 in the manner I hope to continue – I must press on with my submission for The Sketchbook Project – an initiative of The Brooklyn Library in New York - to which I have been contributing for the last three years. I will be in New York to see it after it returns from its 2015 US tour …..

#travel #torredelvisco #arttours #villalereve #maggyoehlbeck #coast #seascapes