Happy Birthday Maurice Savin!

Maurice was a French artist born on October 17th 1894 at Moras-en-Valloire, south-eastern France. He was a painter, ceramicist and tapestry maker. 

Maurice Savin

His father was a doctor in Valence, though Maurice wasn't much interested in medicine studies.

His real passion was for the Arts, so immediately after he was graduated, in 1913, he enrolled to the School of Decorative Arts. Unfortunately a year later, 1914, World War I began and he was drafted.

Maurice wounded twice at the war and received the Croix de Guerre (cross of war) which was an award given to those soldiers that were involved in a heroic deed. 

After he returned from the war he began working for several magazines and journals as the Sourir, La Baionnele and Le Rire, as an illustrator and caricaturist.

His first exhibition was in 1921 and in 1924 he was a member of the Salon d'Automne, where he started to exhibit regularly. 

In 1927 he married Simone Gaudioz, whom was known for her strong character. Simone was very supportive to Maurice and he was influenced in his art by her.

In 1933 he began working in ceramics and created a mural in 1936 for the city hall of Montelimar.

In 1941 he begun to create tapestry using natural colors and hand spun wool.
In 1948 he becomes a member of the Legion of Honour, visiting Egypt and exhibiting in Alexandria.

Start of Hunt, tapestry

During these years Maurice experienced with different techniques  like etching, decorative art and lithography. Maurice liked to try it all, he was very gifted and challenged him self with many techniques. Yet he was always painting while trying some other techniques.
Maurice won few luxurious prizes as a gratitude to his work, one of them was the prize of the Wildenstein Institute in 1967.
In 1973 he died in Paris.
Armand Lanoux (French writer) says on the work of Maurice: 

"Savin's oeuvre is rich. It comprises about 2,500 paintings, 34 finished tapestries, more than 300 pieces of ceramics, 100 gravures and litographs, 9 medals and some leaded glass windows"

Paul Delvaux

Delvaux (23 September 1897 - 20 July 1994) was a Belgian painter associated with Surrealism and famous for his paintings of female nudes. 

As a young man he took music lessons that took place at the Biology laboratory, he was fascinated by the skeletons exhibited in the display cabinets. He read Jules Verne fictions and the poetry of Homer and his work tremendously influenced by these.

During the years 1916 - 1919 Delvaux studied art at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. 

His teachers were the artists: Constant Montald and Jean Delville.

In 1925 he exhibited his first solo exhibition.

His paintings of nudes in landscapes during 1925-1930, are strongly influenced by Flemish Expressionists as Constant Permeke and Gustave De Smet. 

He was also influenced by the Italian Metaphysical  artist, Giorgio de Chirico and from the Surrealist Belgian artist, Rene Magritte.

His paintings are famous for featuring woman nude with mysterious gaze and gestures, reclining in train station or wandering through classical buildings. He also combined skeletons, men or scientists inspired by Jules Verne stories.

In 1959 he executed a mural at the Palais des Congrès in Brussels, one of several large scale decorative commissions Delvaux undertook. He was named director of the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in 1965. In 1982 the Paul Delvaux Museum. 

My Art

Here are some paintings of mine that I hope you will like.

I will be more than happy to  get comments.

Copyright material ‏©‏

Copyright material ‏©‏

Copyright material ‏©‏

Food Art

Don't play with food! and yet some people does:) for our luck.

Here are 3 videos of creative thinking and use of food.

The first artist is Carl Warner a British  photographer which uses butter, cheese, chocolate, vegetables and more.

Street Art

Nowadays the museums exhibits street art, it actually became an art that got its place in the world of art. Museums wants to bring it in and now the questions are: Is it still street art? and How does it affects the street art idea and environment within the walls and regulations of the museum?

Here is a video from an exhibition at the Pori Art Museum- Finland:

And from Ulster Museum Ireland:

המתנדנדת מאת ינקה שוניברי

הנדנדה (על פי פרגונאר), 2001 , אריג כותנה

בהדפס שעווה הולנדית, בובה, נדנדה, צמחיה

מלאכותית, 330 × 350 × 220 ס"מ לערך,

גלריית טייט, לונדון

פרגונאר, הנדנדה, 1767,שמן על בד, אוסף וואלס, לונדון 

עבודותיו של שוניברי מציגות בובות ללא ראש שכן הן סימן למהפכה הצרפתית (1789 - 1799) היות ובזמנה ראשי האריסטוקרטים שנתפסו על ידי המהפכנים- נערפו. פרגונאר איבד את פטרוניו בימי המהפכה דבר שגרם לו לפגיעה כלכלית ולאיבוד כמה מחבריו.

בעבודת אמנות זו, שוניברי ממחיש את מחיר ההנאות והקולוניאליזם. שוניברי מלביש את המתנדנדת בבגדים ברוח התקופה (צרפת של המאה ה-18) אילו צבעי הבדים ודוגמאותיהם הם של בגדים אפריקאים (אינדונזים במקור, הובאו לאפריקה על ידי הקולוניאליסטים) ואומצו על ידי התושבים. 

שוניברי מציב את המתנדנדת בגן המלא והגדוש בצמחייה, מציב סבכות ויוצר אווירה של גן כמקום המשמש כמפלט לאהבה, וכן דואג שמיקום הצופה יהיה זהה לצופה של פרגונאר- המקבל הצצה אל מתחת לשמלתה של הגברת המתנדנדת. 

3D street art - amazing!!!

Here are some 3d street art videos, which I like. I know that it is pretty old stuff, but I enjoy watching those videos, I can't help it:)

I think this art is amazing and can't believe how much talent is in this world.

Enjoy...

קטה קולביץ - אמא תני לי לחם Kathe Kollwitz- Bread

ציירת, אמנית הדפסים ופסלת גרמניה (8 ביולי 1867 - 22 באפריל 1945).

קטה הייתה קומוניסטית ונישאה לרופא, קרל קולביץ, שהיה קומוניסט סוציאליסט.

מטופליו היו בני מעמד הפועלים הנמוך שמהם לא גבה כסף. את מרפאתו הקים בשכונת עוני בכדי שיוכל להיות נגיש ולהעניק את עזרתו לאותם אנשים מזי רעב ומובטלים.    

 Was a German Painter, printmaker and a sculptor (July 8,1867 - April 22, 1945).

Kathe married to Karl Kollwitz, a doctor, in 1891.

Karl opened his clinic in a poor part of Berlin and his patients were of the working class.

Karl didn't charge money from his poor patients and was willing to help them.

  

                              Bread, Lythography, 1924  לחם, ליתוגרפיה, 1924    

קטה בעבודותיה מעניקה אף היא למעמד הפועלים מקום חשוב והיא תיארה את הסבל וחרפת הרעב ששררו באותה תקופה בגרמניה.

בהדפס "לחם" ניתן לראות את דמות האם כשגבה אל הצופה ואת שני ילדיה המושכים בשמלתה ומתחננים שתיתן להם לחם.

התנוחה בה בחרה קתה לתאר את האם הנה בעלת הבעה חזקה של כאב וחוסר אונים. גופה רכון, והיא הסתובבה, כי קשה לה להביט בילדיה הרעבים. בהדפס ניתן לראות רמז לכך שהאם ככל הנראה מכסה את עיניה בידה השמאלית ואילו את ידה הימנית תופס אחד מילדיה.

ובמקרה זה בהחלט ניתן להגיד כי "תמונה אחת שווה אלף מילים"

The working class, poverty, hunger and war are in the center of Kathe's works as for Germany. 

"Bread" , one of her most famous posters, describes the starvation of that time.

Kathe describes a mother with her two children: the mother is with her back to us and her left hand, probably covering her eyes- she is struggling her unability to feed her starving children.    

http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=645&PICTAUS=TRUE

Another Beaded Mandala

 for a special occasion

This is another beaded necklace that I have been created from swarowski and seed beads.

I wanted to add some circles to it as I felt the energy:)

GIRL POWER - My Paintings

Here are 3 of my Paintings.

If you ask me to write something on my paintings I could write that they reflect the strength of women, confident and passion. Obviously there some more beneath the lines...

The third one is the unfinished version (I don't have a photo of the finished one, which was a gift to a friend)

הבית של רמברנדט

 רמברנדט רכש את ביתו ברחוב בריסטראאט (Breestraat), באמסטרדם ב-3 בינואר 1639 ועבר להתגורר שם עם אשתו ססקיה (Saskia) ב-1 במאי ועד שנת 1658. רכישה זו הייתה לנקודת המפנה במצבו הכלכלי, כיוון שהיה זה נכס יקר ובשכונה זו גרו בעלי ממון. באותו זמן שרמברנדט רכש את הבית מצבו הכלכלי היה טוב, ושמו הלך לפניו, הזמינו ממנו עבודות והוא התפרנס היטב מאמנותו. עם זאת הוא לא צפה את דעיכתו שבעקבותיה התקשה לעמוד בתשלומים על ביתו.

הבית נרכש מבנו והחתן של בעליו המקוריים, פטר בלטן (Belten), אשר היו סוחרים אמידים. בחוזה רכישת הבית סוכם כי רמברנדט ישלם על הבית בשלושה תשלומים ובאם לא יעמוד בתשלום תגבה ממנו ריבית של חמישה אחוזים. אכן, את יתרת התשלומים רמברנדט נבצר מלשלם, דבר שהוביל אותו לחובות שבסופו של דבר גרמו לו לאבד את הבית.

ביתו של רמברנדט היה ממוקם בשכונה בה התגוררו משפחות יהודיות בעלות ממון, ובמהלך המאה ה-17 המחוז יושב בעיקר על ידי אמנים ומשפחות יהודיות אמידות וביניהן הסוחר מנשה בן ישראל, אשר היה חברו של רמברנדט.

לקראת סוף המאה ה-17 שונה שם הרחוב מסינט אנטוניסבריסטראאט (Sint Anthonisbreestraat) ליודנבריסטראאט (Jodebreestraat) שפירושו רחוב היהודים הרחב.

הבית נבנה בשנת 1607, כמבנה דו קומתי בעל גמלון מדורג ובין השנים 1627- 1628 נעשו שיפוצים, שבמהלכם שונתה חזית הבניין, הוספה קומה שלישית ונבנה גמלון משולש. שחזור פנים הבית התאפשר עקב רישומים שנעשו בשנת 1656 עבור ספירת המלאי לאחר הצהרתו של רמברנדט על פשיטת רגל ובשנת 1657/8 נמכר הבית ותכולתו.

Serbia- Today's point of view

Serbia- such a wonderfull place!!!

Eating, walking, exploring and Missing...

Beads - Mandala and Coral Necklaces

I love creating with beads and here are 3 of my last creations- I enjoy every minute of wearing them.

Chocolate-Orange Muffins

Hi guys this evening I bring up a recipe, not much an art history thing but I beleive that food is also an art and like many paintings that represent food, picnics etc. I think that chefs are also artists and instead of canvas they "paint" on plates.

So here is a recipe from one of the tops culinary schools "The Cordon Bleu"

Recipe by the Cordon Bleu

Preparation time: 25 min.‎
Baking time: 20 min.‎
Number of muffins: 12‎

Ingredients:‎
‎150 gr bitter-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
‎75 gr butter in room temperature, cut into cubes

‎2 cups cake flour
‎1/2 cup all-purpose flour
‎3 spoons cocoa powder‎
‎3 spoons super fine sugar‎

‎2 eggs‎
‎250 ml milk‎
‎1 spoon of orange peel‎

Frosting:‎
‎200 gr bitter-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
‎60 gr butter in room temperature, cut into cubes
‎1 spoon orange liquor

Preparation:‎
Preheat oven to 210 °C ‎
Baking pan with 12 cups, oiled.‎
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl and put the bowl in a pot filled with hot water until ‎they melt. Leave it to chill.‎
In a large bowl mix the sifted flours, cocoa powder and sugar together.‎
Make a hole in the center.‎
In another mixing bowl beat the eggs, pour in the milk and the orange peel and mix ‎together. Pour the batter and the chocolate in the hole of the flours mix.‎
Combine it all, leave some lumps in the batter, so don't mix it too much.‎

Transfer the muffins batter in the cups pan and fill 3/4 of every cup.‎
Put inside the oven and bake for 20 min.‎

Frosting:‎

Melt the chocolate and butter as before remove from heat add the orange liquor and ‎leave to cool.‎

When the muffins are cooled spread the chocolate on top and serve with a strawberry ‎or orange peel.‎



Enjoy ‎
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Valentine's day – The Vow to Love by Fragonard and Ideas for Valentine's day gifts

Fragonard Jean Honoré, The Vow to Love, c. 1780, Oil on canvas, 52×63 cm, Private collection.‎

Valentine's day is coming... and here is a painting that popped into my mind "The Vow to Love" what a ‎strong painting with dynamic lines and a fall into desire. Here you can see a statue of a blindfolded ‎Amour (son of Venus) from your right and a young woman throwing her self, transported by ‎desire with her eyes closed and dramatically raising her left arm towards her head which ‎express her fall into desire. ‎
The scene takes place in a dense garden which extenuate the magical intimate moment ‎between the woman and Amour. The woman is emphasize with light and her dress is flown ‎and full with folds. From the left side behind there is a cupid on a wooden log like the woman on the statue.‎

What can describe the feeling of falling in love better than Fragonard's "The Vow to Love". ‎Love is blind and the passion is so strong that you can not see a thing, you are "throwing" your ‎self to your love driven by your passion and desire.‎

If you found your one or wish to court here are some gift ideas to that special day:‎‏
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‎1.‎ A bouquet of red/orange (or both) flowers – the colours of passion. ‎
‎2.‎ Box of chocolates – I know that the flowers and chocolates are not unique, but you ‎can not ever get wrong with them, after all they are classic gifts. ‎
‎3.‎ A watch with dedication behind of some words of love from a poem, from your first ‎date etc.‎
‎4.‎ A romantic dinner that you have cooked and it does not mean that you have to cook ‎something complicate, it is better to cook something simple like a nice pasta, oven ‎cooked chicken anything that you do well and of course a bottle of wine and desert.‎
‎5.‎ Printed sheets of your favorite picture together or a customize picture with your ‎faces.‎
‎6.‎ Take the weekend off and travel together to a place you love.‎
In the end it doesn't really matter what the present is, the important thing is the thought!!! ‎

Happy Valentine's day for you all
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Capes are back - winter 2011

I have noticed that capes are back in fashion, now you can see women wearing their ‎capes in winter and I must admit at the beginning it looked a bit strange although the ‎cape has it own charm.‎

Anyway it reminded me a beautiful painting by the 18th century French painter Jean ‎Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699 – 1779), Morning Toilette, c. 1740, oil on canvas, 49 ‎‎× 39 cm, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden.‎

In this painting you can see a mother and her daughter with their capes on. The scene ‎is taking place in a small room with a table and a mirror. The light in the painting is ‎coming from the left side with range of reds and pinks. The little girl cape is in pale ‎blue, the mother wear a black sheer cape. They share an intimate mother and ‎daughter moment with their elegant charming capes.‎
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My Tooth Extraction and Renaissance Art

Michaelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Tooth Extraction,1607-9, oil on canvas, 140×195 cm, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy.

This painting describes exactly how I felt this week about my tooth extraction.
This procedure is soooo painful and made me stay in bed for a while and to think on tooth extraction in the renaissance art and that what I found out:
the painful gaze of the "victim" haven't changed.
thanks god all the other stuff like sterilization, tools and methods – have changed.
So here I am bringing you some paintings that describes the agony of the patient and the insistence of the so called dentist, enjoy :)

Gerrit Dou,The Extraction of Tooth, 1630-5, oil on wood, 32×26 cm, Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

Adriaen Jansz. Van Ostade, Barber Extracting of Tooth, 1630-35, oil on wood, 34×41 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria


Gerrit van Honthorst, The Dentist, 1622, oil on canvas,147×219 cm Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

After Dark - Haruki Murakami

Another novel by Murakami, which is my favorite writer, that doesn't really ends...
This novel published in 2004 and I have just read it. The book is divided by the hours of one night, which takes place in Tokyo.
The main characters are Mari, a 19 years old student who seating in a diner and reading a book. The second one is Takahashi a trombone player in a jazz band who recognizing Mari as Eri's sister, which is at their parents home sleeping....
Takahashi and Mari are spending some time together and letting know each other.
Mari is studying Chinese and that information is passed by Takahashi to his friend, which retired from the female boxing world and now manages a Love Hotel. That special lady comes to the diner to Mari after a Chinese prostitute has been beaten inside the hotel room.
The reality of the story is very mixed with the dream world, the line between what is here and now is fading very fast...

Haruki Murakami – Underground

I have read it last year and I enjoyed it. The book is about the terror attack that took ‎place on March 1995 by the Aum - Shinrikyo members which released Sarin in the ‎Tokyo subway trains, killing and seriously injuring. Some estimates claim as many as ‎‎5,000 people were injured by the Sarin attack. ‎

Well the story is sad and terrified, but the book is well written, Murakami succeeded, ‎in my opinion, to catch the story of both the victims and the cult of Shoko Asahara.‎
When I have started the book I automatically thought that Murakami will describe the ‎story mostly from the victims eyes, but he chose in a manner that will represent the ‎story from the whole, I mean as close to the people that were involve with it.‎

So in a few words I really recommend on this book and if you are a student of ‎Japanese culture I think it will be very interesting for you, because Murakami writes a ‎lot on the aspects of Japanese culture and disscuss on their ways of dealing with such ‎a terror by Japanese in Japan. ‎
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Thought of the day

Another day of art thoughts.... what's that?? I'm not really sure, but I think that means ‎that I have worked today on too many things that aren't connected with art. ‎
Unfortunately I've postponed my curatorial project of the day:) in order to make some ‎urgent office work:) how's that happened to me? that's what I've asked myself today ‎and shockingly I'm not really sure or maybe that's the so close but yet sooo far ‎syndrome, you know that feeling that you're given the opportunity you've waited for ‎so long and than when you get it you're stuck, because you're so afraid of loosing ‎your one time opportunity!!! or maybe that's PREFECIONISM.‎

Well today was my last day as an office worker, for me, my boss don't know that ‎yet:) and tomorrow will be my first day as a project manager, that means that ‎tomorrow I'm going to show my boss that I can do much more and also my ‎presentation, so he would also see my potential:) ‎
and maybe I'm too influenced by those Robin Sharma books....‎