October 21, the Loire at Cheyrac, evening light Print

I am a French landscape painter. My work, based on observation in nature “en plein air,” is in line with the French landscape painters of the 19th century. I like the poetry of simple subjects like the paths around my village, the edge of a river, a cloud above the mountains... I paint with oil, "alla prima" (wet on wet), this enables me to capture the atmosphere, the momentary and transient effects of sunlight. This forces me to paint quickly with lively and spontaneous brushstrokes that lend my paintings a sense of movement. The landscape has always been an object of contemplation for me, an open parenthesis outside of everyday life. From my first paintings at the age of fifteen, I naturally drew my inspiration from it. Graduated from the National School of Applied Arts and Crafts, my studies confronted me with other visual arts practices, but in no way distracted me from my passion for landscape painting on location. About twenty years ago I chose to live and paint in Auvergne, in the heart of France. From my studio, which dominates the gorges of the Loire, I contemplate the grandiose landscape shaped by volcanoes every day. My brushes explore it, tirelessly, like a walk, renewed daily by light, climate change and the seasons. I also like trips which are an opportunity to appropriate new landscapes, new lights and colors. More particularly, the sea is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me. My work tends to humbly pay tribute to the beauty of the world, without seeking to travel it. Even in the most familiar environment, one can be touched by the sublime. The intimate dialogue with the landscape makes me sensitive to its infinite variations and vibrations. Day after day, I try to transcribe its subtle nuances as accurately as possible. Beyond the simple representation, I seek to express my wonder in front of the constantly renewed spectacle of nature. My work is currently held in private collections across the globe. For more information visit my website: www.annebaudequin.fr