FIRST INSPIRATIONS - PREMIÈRES INSPIRATIONS

 English Version - *version française dessous* 

FIRST INSPIRATIONS

In December 1988, I was at my Mother-in-Laws house for Christmas. Several years previous, she saw the Courtauld Impressionist collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art. 

She purchased a souvenir coffee table book. I had thumbed through this book a number of times and was glancing through it again that Christmas.  However, this time was different...

 



I clearly remember turning a page and seeing Degas.  Then Monet.  I will never forget how I felt that day when I turned those pages and saw such beauty... it was an epiphany! 

 

I was struck by the vibrant colors and beauty and decided at that moment, I wanted to try and paint.  I was 38 years old at the time and had never had any interest in art, in fact, I was terrible in high school art classes… but then again, I was terrible in student in all subjects!  But I wanted to try. 

 

To this day, I wonder if I would have ever tried painting had I not picked up that book!

 

PHOTO/S: 

Cover Courtaulds Book ; Degas, Edgar, After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself, 1889-90, Pastel on Paper. ; Monet, Claude, Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, 1873, Oil on Canvas.


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Version française


PREMIÈRES INSPIRATIONS

En décembre 1988, j'étais chez ma belle-mère pour Noël. Plusieurs années auparavant, elle avait vu la collection impressionniste Courtauld au Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art.

Elle a acheté un livre souvenir. J'avais déjà feuilleté ce livre plusieurs fois auparavant et le feuilletais à nouveau ce Noël-là. Cependant, cette fois-ci, c'était différent...

 



Je me souviens très bien d'avoir tourné une page et vu un Degas. Puis un Monet. Je n'oublierai jamais ce que j'ai ressenti ce jour où j'ai tourné ces pages et vu une telle beauté... ce fut une révélation ! 


 J'ai été frappé par les couleurs vibrantes et la beauté des formes : j'ai décidé à ce moment-là que je voulais essayer de peindre. J’avais 38 ans à l’époque et je n’avais jamais eu d’intérêt pour l’art. En fait, j’étais nul dans les cours d’art au secondaire… mais là encore, j’étais un terrible étudiant dans toutes les matières ! Mais je voulais essayer.

 Aujourd’hui encore, je me demande si j’aurais essayé de peindre si je n’avais pas ouvert ce livre !

 


PHOTO/S :

Couverture livre Courtaulds  ; Degas, Edgar, Après le bain, femme entrain de se sécher, 1889-90, pastel sur papier; Monet, Claude, effet d'automne à Argenteuil, 1873, huile sur canvas.

 


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