the Rogue Gene Collective speaks » france

Rogue Gene welcome guest artist Cathy Savels

andrea — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:17:20 +0000

Artwork by Cathy Savels

Rogue Gene Collective are pleased to welcome new guest artist Cathy Savels.

Cathy Savels is a talented Belgian artist based in France. Originally trained as an interior designer, over the past eight years Cathy has been using her creative skill to produce original art works. Cathy’s works combine the traditional medium of painting with the use of other materials such as string, paper and cloth to create beautiful textured works which are both striking and accessible for the viewer.

You can see more of Cathy’s work on the Rogue Gene site: www.roguegenecollective.com/Cathy_Savels.html

Cathy also owns Total Art Soul – a place for artistic souls: www.totalartsoul.com

Cathy’s personal website: www.cathysavels.com

Andrea’s sketchbook . . .

andrea — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:58:47 +0000

From Andrea's sketchbook

I’ve always been keen to keep a sketchbook of drawings, ideas and general doodles. As an art student, I was taught to always keep a small sketchbook with me on my travels – you never know when inspiration may strike! So, I always take my small hardback A6 sketchbook on holiday with me. I tend to collect interesting tickets, postcards and small bits of memorabilia whilst travelling to stick into my sketchbook. I also create lots of simple pen doodles as reminders of where I have been and the things I have seen.

Shown are some water stick sketches that I created whilst recently in France. Although I generally favour oil paint, Dewent Watercolour Aqua Sticks are practical for travelling . . . and to take to the beach! These flower sketches will probably form the basis for some new floral oil paintings in the future.

You can see more of my work at: www.andreafarmer.co.uk

Return from France

andrea — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:34:24 +0000

Hubby and I have just returned from Argeles sur Mere, a fantastic holiday destination in the south of France. Possibly one of the cleanest places I have ever visited; beautiful views, spotless beaches, great food and wine and very friendly locals!

We had a wonderful boat trip to Collioure where the cobbled streets are home to local artisans. This region is particularily famous for ‘Les Fauves’ (french for ‘The Wild Beasts’) a group of 20th century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour. The leaders of this movement were Matisse and Derain.

You can see The Wild Beasts influence on the french artists of today and even on the local bar and restaurant owners with the artworks hanging on their walls. It was great to wander around the working studios in Collioure, take in the various vibrant paintings and watch many of the artists in action.