Archives

6.  LA SYMBOLIQUE DES COULEURS : le rose. Le rose, qui résulte du mélange du rouge et du blanc, possède les propriétés symboliques de ces deux dernières couleurs et témoigne donc de l'amour, de la pureté et de la fidélité. Associé à Vénus, le rose évoque également la tendresse, la jeunesse et le bonheur. Considéré comme la couleur de la chair (même si ce n'est pas réellement le cas, c'est pourtant bien la signification qui reste ancrée dans l'esprit général), il est aussi associé à la séduction, à l'érotisme et est donc... [Lire la suite]

A voice calls from the shadows of the Opera House to innocent chorus girl Christine Daae. Only ballet mistress, Madame Giry, knows that the voice is that of the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of the theatre. When temperamental diva La Carlotta storms out, the theatre managers thrust Christine into the spotlight. Her performance captivates both the audience and the Phantom. But he is not the only powerful man to be awed by the young soprano ... The Vicomte de Chagny, the theatre's patron, also falls in... [Lire la suite]

A lot of time was necessary to paint this figure : I must have spent 10 hours, at least, to work on it. Before painting, you begin with a "vision" and, then, you think that the only thing you have to do is to depict this vision on the paper. But your vision changes while you are painting and, so, the final result can be totally different. You can see that her face isn't the same than the one of the original drawing : during the painting process, I modified her expression, her features, and the first idea I had of her (colour... [Lire la suite]

This "Great Prize of Wallonie", organized by the "Jeunesses Culturelles", drew a lot of people in the Centre of Leisure in Mont-sur-Marchienne (Belgium). More than sixty artists, coming from Belgium or France, showed their paintings, scultptures, photographs, ceramics and other high standard works. The President, Walter Wachtelaer, was satisfied of the success of this exhibition. Seven artists, who won the International Vermeil Medal, were especially congratulated : Catherine De Ryck (watercolour), Christian... [Lire la suite]

Eveil (Awake). Work in progress. 40 x 30 cm. 2007. Toute reproduction,  totale ou partielle, strictement interdite. Any (total or partial) reproduction of this picture  is strictly forbidden. Here is the fifth step of my work. I firstly depicted the temple and its columns with the same colours I had used before. To paint the wings, especially the left one, was the most difficult part of the painting process. I daren't count the hours that I spent working on this! It was like solving a problem : how could I do... [Lire la suite]

Hi everyone, I've been very busy these last few weeks. First of all, I wish to thank all the people who came to the "Discovery walk Of Fine Arts in Mons" on 22nd July. It was great to meet you and to share opinions with each other. Once again, many thanks for the kind messages of encouragement I received from people who weren't able to join us. It's a big honour to be supported by so many people, from so many countries, really. I'm quite aware that any artist (painter, writer, actor, singer or musician) is nobody if not... [Lire la suite]

Another symbolism that can be seen in "The Fountain" is the use of geometrical shapes : triangles, rectangles and circles. Each one has its own significance and helps to distinguish the three chronological narratives. Un autre type de symbolisme qui peut être remarqué dans "The Fountain" est l'utilisation de formes géométriques : triangles, rectangles et cercles. Chacune possède une signification qui lui est propre et permet de différencier les trois époques. The triangle is used for the 16th century.... [Lire la suite]

A few months ago, I wrote about Darren Aronofsky's last movie : "The Fountain" (article written in French only). The Fountain tells the story of a man (Tomas, Tommy, Tom Creo, portrayed by Hugh Jackman), living in three different times and places, who is scared of death and tries to do everything to avoid it ... It is a quest to find the "Fountain of Youth" (symbolized here by the "Tree of Life"). Il y a quelques mois, j'écrivais un article concernant le dernier film de Darren Aronofsky : "The... [Lire la suite]

"We saw the world afresh, but for a long time, the world didn't seem to understand us. The Impressionists, they called us. We were painters of water, of light, of colour. We were of our own time, yet beyond it." Claude Monet, The Impressionists, BBC 2006. Based on archive letters, records and interviews from the time, these three hour mini-series tells the history of a most illustrious brotherhood of Impressionist artists : Monet, Renoir, Bazille, Manet, Degas and Cézanne. Old Claude Monet is interviewed by a... [Lire la suite]

Painters, from left to right : Bazille (James Lance), Renoir (Charlie Condou) & Monet (Richard Armitage), from BBC Drama "The Impressionists", 2006. In the 19th century, the "Salon", in Paris, is a major artistic institution which influences the taste of the audience and the art circles of the time. It is associated with the academic painting and obeys to conservative rules, which are dominated by political, historical and religious criteria, by the sense of detail and the suppressing of each brush... [Lire la suite]