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From the Aquarellista Headquarters 3

The portrait is coming along fine - the shape, colours and features of my 'muse'  are basically done. Still some tweaking is needed, for instance I am not yet completely happy about his glasses, but I will wait with that until the background is done, because then I can work with a reflection, based on something that is actually there. Right now I am working on the chair, which is coming along fine. Main colour used for that W&N burnt sienna. The most important colour for the background is going to be W&N Payne's Grey. It will probably have green and red tones.     And on the right there will be lots of white - but that is a true timesaver in aquarelle, the parts you don't have to paint!  

From the Aquarellista Headquarters 2

Although there is not as much time as I hoped for (because my artist bro Pim had to go to hospital and I'm taking over his classes for the rest of the month and April, lots of planning and general distraction)  - I am slowly working on the portrait commission, and 'the thing' is already happening: I fall in love with my subject. I am thinking about him and his features all the time. By the way, this always happens to me! Boys, girls, old, young- as long as it has a heartbeat, I love it deeply during the making of the painting! It is probably what the term 'muse' is all about... Anyway - a remark on my work is sometimes that I show a much too 'loving' image - and the above is probably why! Can't help it! Maybe I should someday paint somebody that I don't like - as a test... OK - here's a picture of the basic sketch: very thin , with a HB pencil on the Arches torchon, so that the drawing will hardly be visible on the painting when it is finished.     And then the first wash  of his face, without much detail and contrast - but definitely with a likeness to, euh... my muse!

Green Rosebud ‘covered’

Last summer I went to my favourite café in Valbonne village and there she was, this performer with just a guitar and a great voice... she was jamming a bit with a couple of local people and it was wonderful. Afterwards I went over to give a bit of super positive feedback and to ask if she had cd's. Long story short, her name turned out to be Catherine Taylor Dawson, she is a professional singer from the UK, who at this moment mainly does session work and (to give you an idea of her voice) did TV adverts and re-mixes for the vocals of Katy Perry, Joss Stone and Bjork...

She is currently recording and producing her first solo album with all songs composed by herself - and guess who is going to design the cover! I am delighted that for the time being  she has produced a jazzy album with covers of great songs for marketing reasons - and that she chose my 'Green Rose Bud' for the front as a try out...and by the way, the cooperation went very well!

To check out her photo and her music you can check out http://www.catherinetaylordawson.moonfruit.com/ or google her name... You can listen to her music via internet... It's definitely worthwhile!!  

From the Aquarellista Headquarters 1

Today I started with a new portrait commission and as I am creating a 'Making of' book anyway I thought it would be a nice idea to use my writings to keep you posted on how it goes, the  materials, the details, the challenges and things I learn on the way... After  sketching, studying, discussing and taking a lot of pictures (spread out over several days) I started with choosing my paper. In this case (the protrait is head to feet and pretty big, hard to stretch on a board) I chose a sheet of heavy Arches paper, 640 grams rough grain Torchon, with those wonderful 'bords frangés' that only hand made paper has. And a beautiful watermark on all corners.   And then work on the perfect basic drawing - important because using transparent aquarelle watercolours makes it very hard to repair mistakes...  

Exhibition Holotropic Art Symposium 2011/2012

Exhibition Holotropic Art Symposium: Artists from four continents exhibit in the Dana Gallery by: Loredana OPREA Date of publication: 17/01/2012 The Holotropic Art exhibition is opening today. The works can be admired until 20 March. Professional artists from four continents - Europe, USA, Asia and Africa - will exhibit at Iasi. Their creations will be presented at the third edition of the exhibition "Art holotropic Annual International". The opening is scheduled today at 18 o'clock at Dana Gallery in Str. Prof. Cujba.

The exhibition brings together paintings by artists from France, Denmark, Switzerland, Romania, USA, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria. Among the exhibitors this year are painters who participated in previous editions: Attika Boubezari (Algeria), Muriel Desgardin (Switzerland), Marina Kulik (France), Edi Apostu, Zamfira Birzu, Gabriela Drinceanu, Ana Gabriela Dulgheru and Dorin Lehaci (Romania). For the first time participating artists Wale Ajay (Nigeria), Helle Antonsen (Denmark), Smaranda Bostan, Sabin Drinceanu, Roxana Irina Odobasa, Lucian Sebastian Radu (Romania), Nadine Bertulessi (France), Anton Buttler (South Africa), Dumas Hufreesh (India), Damaring Ferasmara (Indonesia) and Dave Dazzlin Peterson (USA).

In making their creations, participants used inspirational music composed especially for this event by the initiator of this artistic trend, Edi Apostu. In his opinion, holotropic art is the art which is the result of transpersonal experiences and which can transpose the beholder into states of overconsciousness.

"His music influences my work: usually I let myself be inspired by a combination of my mood, sound, the light, the weather and the behavior of my paint, transparent aquarelle, which is thin as water and mixes, blends, drips and flows. The “look and feel” is organic, natural. For this project I concentrated mainly on music, which is new to me and cannot be compared. In order to express what I experience with Edi Apostu’s music I have chosen a mixture of smooth oil and opaque acrylics, which give me more control, and deeper tones. The transparency and the suggestion of depth and volume that I use in my “regular” paintings appear in this work too – the music requires that". says artist Marina Kulik.

The exhibition will be presented by Edi Apostu and will be hosted by Dana Gallery until 20 March.

The Mystery of Survival – MyDNA in Galerie Oscar

Until 1 February 2012, Marina shows an overview of her latest aquarelles in the hippest gallery of the Côte d'Azur, Galerie Oscar in Nice. The theme of this solo exhibition is 'the mystery of survival', referring to DNA, cells, fingerprints, portraits and other unique aspects of life that determine a person's survival and are omnipresent in Marina's work. The aquarelles are painted with Winsor and Newton on hand made paper, which absorbs the transparent paint in a different way. This makes the repair of mistakes absolutely impossible, but also makes the colours come out  much stronger - an effect I love!

Galerie Oscar is a galerie for contemporary, modern art. They work in an original and different way with their artists and  for example regularly have events around the art, with speakers, music and great food. They also organize yoga classes in the mornings and arrange art rentals.

You can visit the exhibition and Galerie Oscar on 9 Rue Fodéré, 06300 NICE For more information visit http://www.galerieoscar.com          

‘Farewell’ wins Prize of the Culture Council

 Out of hundreds of entries, one of the two paintings that Marina Kulik entered in the Grand Prix d'Aquarelle has won the prize of the Culture Council! Her other painting (MCRose 13) received a honorary mention.

'This year I am trying out several contests to see if that works as well for publicity as exhibiting does. So far there wasn't much worth mentioning, I ended up in the last fifty in the 'Power of Self' art contest (with self-portraits) and just missed the finals of the Saatchi Showdown (3 votes short, ouch!). This fall I  was invited to participate in the Grand Prix d'Aquarelle 2011. It was an interesting contest, with a theme that I found appealing: 'Roses without thorns'.

There were strict rules, the work should be made specifically for this Grand Prix, and it was not permitted to show it anywhere else before it was judged. That's why it hasn't been on my website until last week! I have actually produced three works for it, but one, though great fun to create, didn't come through my own ballot. I painted the singers of the Dutch song 'Rozen Zonder Doornen',  Gert en Hermien Timmermans... very lame but now kind of cult- But it would only mean something to older Dutch people.

Ok, and the other two that made it were a new version of my McRoses, number 13, a big one on handmade paper. Certainly no thorns there, as it is a painting suggesting an estranged rose, from fabric, or 'pillows' as many people say. The second was more complicated, and I am very happy that it is this one that won the prize: it's name is 'Farewell' because I painted it like the roses we dropped in the water of the North Sea, after we scattered the ashes of a dear friend. And, it has as a subtitle  'Such roses do not exist, but you can hide the thorns'. Hence the ribbon around it.

I am very happy with this acknowledgement!

One more contest-like happening to go, I have also entered for the second time in the Holotropic Art Symposium, held in Rumania, and this year it has prizes too.

Fingers crossed and I'll tell you all about that in another post...'

Wearable Art in Casablù

From 10 September onwards Marina Kulik shows a collection of hand painted bracelets and necklaces and hats in Galerie Casablù. Also on display several of MArina's aquarelles and jewelry by Françoise Weber. The galerie is open every day from 10am - 7pm Casablù Rue Eugène Giraud 06560 VALBONNE

‘Franchement Art’ 2nd edition

From 2-5 September 2011, the second edition of the contemporary art fair 'Franchement Art' takes place in the Citadelle of Villefranche sur Mer Renowned galeries and well-known contemporary artists show their paintings, sculptures, photographs and other artwork. Aquarellista Marina Kulik is one of the chosen artists. She will show her large size abstracts, big multicolour roses and  a preview on her 'Glam Women' portraits. "I participated in the first edition and I had a great time with the other artists, we had inspiring talks and of course tremendous fun... In the picture below (ripped from the official brochure) you can see me (middle, right), looking at the work of another participant. The number of visitors could have been higher and the organisation promised for the second edition to promote better and louder.  This year more galeries are exhibiting and the overall quality seems to be higher, the 'ballotage' being more strict. I got selected, phew! My stand will be next to that of my Dutch sculptor-friend Ineke Velsink. Our work looks great together and I look very much forward to showing it to the many international visitors. I expect to sell and get commissions for Glamorous Women Portraits" The entry to the Contemporary Art Fair 'Franchement Art' is free, more information on their website nb: if you are looking for painters (like me) go to 'Plasticiens'

Expo Marina Artist Team in Dutch Consulate Nice

 

From March 1st onwards, until 2012, six aquarelle watercolours created by the Marina Artist Team will be on display in the Dutch Consulate in Nice. The Marina Artist Team are Marina Kulik, Marina Teding-van Berkhout and Cathie van der Stel, three aquarellistas, who work together on commissions for houses, portraits (of people and pets) and wedding bouquets. The Consulate already owns a portrait in aquarelle of her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, made by Marina Kulik.

Shown are a Berner Senner puppy and Grapes by Marina Teding van Berkhout, portrait of a black woman and poppies by Cathie van der Stel and portrait of a little girl and Cat & Frog by Marina Kulik. The exhibition is open to everybody visiting the Dutch consulate. Click the dutch flag on the upper right hand side to read the Dutch translation...