Dear Friends and Collectors,
I am busy, busy, busy! here in Europe. My solo show of ‘Mediterranean Landscapes’ in Menton at the English Library closes June 29. My solo show at the Chateau L’Aumérade in Provence (Pierrefeu) is on display until July 30. There is an evening concert of ‘Musique Brésilienne’ at L’Aumérade on Saturday, July 27, a wonderful way to see the exhibition and hear some great music, and sip some excellent rosé! I will be there from 19h.
I had the great fortune to spend several weeks in Venice to steep myself in the art world. The Biennale is an exceptional art event, along with all the collateral exhibits in otherwise closed venues that make a trip to Venice so inspiring. The themes of migration, immigration, ethnicity, art in the Global South, and LGBQT themes were prominent bringing into question our reliance upon Western canons in art. I am exploring the idea that somehow, we are all migrants, searching for what is now lost.
This summer, I’m in the South of France concentrating on proposals for residencies in both California and in France; the application and correspondence is always a long process. I’m also excited about an opportunity for a large commission project in the Lake Como district. There is always artwork to finish in the studio: painting-in the agapanthus that wasn’t in bloom at Villa les Camélias, an unfinished floral piece I painted at a friend’s garden in Anjou, and a bamboo painting I started 12 years ago at my first residency in France at the Domaine du Rayol. This is a remarkable garden in the south of France: if you are in the area, it is a must see.
Anticipating my return to California in September, I am already planning a pastel workshop at the Laguna Community Center, a lecture for the ‘Women Painters West’ group, and a trip to Cuernavaca to do a large commissioned painting of a private garden. I’m invited to exhibit in a group show at OCCCA in Santa Ana ‘Why We Make Art’ and in January, I’m anticipating a residency in a rustic garden in the Santa Barbara area. I will be busy, busy, busy! doing what I love most: creating and painting.
Happy summer to all! I’ll be back with a Monthly News in early fall. Follow me in Instagram where I post 2-3 times a week.
Yours In Art,
Gianne