switchstuff: Tranquility

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tranquility

Since Sunday I have been pretty much holed up in my studio. Kind of a 3 day self-directed residency. It feels so good to be able to spend the days out there, with nothing but my computer for some jazz, and an occasional visitor to chat with. The hours fly by, and I realize how much I miss the absorption of being in the work, without a clock or a list of errands running my day. It's been a rare experience for me lately, and this was a much needed revisit.

Getting ready for a solo show is like getting ready for the Holidays. Deadline. Lists. Anxiety. But it's always a time for reflection, exploration and intense focus as well. . . Something that, in itself is a gift. So, as I prepare to go back to my everyday routine this week, I am thankful to have had this time to reconnect with my other self, who has been missing the smell of the oils and the feel of the paintbrush on my panels.

Recently I did some re-visiting of one of my favorite painters, French artist Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940). Born in the period between Impressionism & the beginning of full blown Abstraction, his work is more than just a riot of gorgeous color. It is a reflection of the peace and tranquility he found in his own domestic surroundings.

image from Olga's Gallery

Vuillard is most well-known for his dramatic interior scenes, attributed to the fact that he lived with his mother until he was 60, and became quite well acquainted with the domestic "women's life".

His use of color is one dominant factor in the rooms he painted. Beautiful.

Vuillard was also intrigued by fabric, or more precisely, pattern on fabric.

Although in the early 1900's he was commissioned to paint large decorative panels of urban landscapes and parks for his patrons mansions, for the rest of his career he sought perfection in the scenes of domestic tranquility of his patrons which reveal the intimacy of the home, humble settings and everyday life.