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Thanks
to all visitors of our stand B-39 at the retromobile show, February
8-17. Some
100.000 people visited this indoor retro event, the most important
of Europe. Also many thanks to Thierry who helped me out at
the stand during these long days. On the last days I’ve
taken time to make two paintings. Many visitors came by several
times to see the progress. Children showed much curiosity and
asked lots of questions...
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Tired
of setting up the stand, I’ve started painting during
the second half of the show. Cautiously, I started with
a small genre painting figuring a well-known driver of
the late 30s, Bernd Rosemeyer stopped at his stand. I’ve
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modified
many details relative to the photo that inspired me. A
warmer light, a different frame and a stylized background
with the sky plain white...
It’s
a strange but fine feeling, painting with others around.
A visitor watching me conveys an energy to the strokes
of the brush. There’s a real closeness with bystanders
who stay to see how a landscape takes form in a painting
that I started uneasily. Curiosity, disbelief and a bit
of excitement follow each other. Silently, I sense their
various thoughts and feel inspired,
particularly in the presence of children. Wihout looking
up I know they’re there. Even
though, with them silence never lasts very long.
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Bernd Rosemeyer
Auto Union Type C |
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Some
remarks of (very young) visitors :
- "Hey mister, how long it takes to make a painting?"
- "Monsieur,
monsieur, where’s the model?"
- "Look daddy, that’s the man who’s drawn
all the pictures !"
- "Did you go to school to learn drawing ?"
- "(with his mother); my mom paints also but not
that well; and then she does only animals.Monsieur,
how much for that painting?
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Only
three days left. What am I going to paint? Twenty meters
from here I see the beautiful paintings of Klaus Wagger.
One represents a scene that’s well known to historians
of motor racing. Nuvolari poised to pass Von Brauchitsch
whose left back tire bursts. It’s the famoust victory
of the Italian driver. The highly original scene is shown
from behind. I’ll do the same in frontal view...
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In
this kind of set-up it’s imperative to paint fast.
The expression is more important than
small details. The composition has to be sharp as well
as the touch of the brush. However, my composition is
wrong and the cars are poorly positioned. I forgot to
incline the horizon the way I had in mind. Too bad, it’s
too late to start all over again. The background is quickly
finished; together with the shadows of the cars one senses
what the atmosphere of the painting might finally be.
The next day is devoted to the cars while trying to maintain
the light touch of the landscape. The painting is well
received by my fellow artists and the public. Back home
I’ve taken the painting from its frame anyway. It
will be mounted in a smaller frame such as to get the
horizon inclined according to plan. This later version
is shown here.
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Von
Brauchitsch et Tazio Nuvolari au Grand Prix du Nurburgring
en 1935. |
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Por
favor... could you tell me where to find oil paint ?
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Many
artists show their work at retromobile; some have world
fame. Benoit, Christophe and me have heard many stories
about a maverick Uruguayan artist, Alfredo de la Maria.
According to Benoit Deliège, in the first week
he got a visit of Alfredo at his stand asking for a nearby
paint shop. The fellow was finishing paintings at his
hotel. Others were already exposed at his stand, like
the one opposite. So we went to see him during a stealthy
presence. Surprisingly, I met a smiling and open man thought
to be a little foolish (maybe not so little), with a vast
cultural mind. I was quite astonished by his broad knowledge,
aviation included. In Uruguay he was aviation painter.
While we met him he was busy finishing 17 paintings. I’m
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noncommittal
with regard to his pictoral style but flabbergasted at
his virtuosity and sense of light. Each painting is a
purple passage. We’ve had some fine moments with
him, the chance encounter we’ll remember for a very
long time.
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version française
