The wonderful canvas opposite was created by Martine Van Meerbeeck to commemorate the inauguration of our new premises in Le Buisson. Martine is Belgian and was at the time a committee member who got heavily involved in the clubhouse decoration project and was instrumental in inspiring the colour schemes that were adopted.
Martine reports that several techniques were used to create the canvas, including acrylic paint, silhouettes and various cut-out paper patterns, small brush overpainting and a final varnish coat. In all, it aims to portray many of the activities within ACIP but especially the atmosphere and the joy of living that reigns there.
The painting now hangs in the upstairs vestibule and the individual activities portrayed within the canvas have been adopted on various group pages throughout the website. Can you spot them?
Alison Collins artwork - Classroom
Alison Collins lives in Mouzens and is an artist who has recently re-discovered the joy of landscape painting. Her work is usually impressionistic and expressive, capturing the moods and the shifting hues of the world around us. She has established a studio in La Boissiere and works in mixed media including oils, watercolour, acrylics and inks.
When asked to paint four abstract paintings for our new classroom, Alison says that she first looked for inspiration from the values of ACIP and secondly from the room in which they were to be placed. Alison reports that she also thought about ACIP members, the activities offered and about our exciting new clubhouse and wanted the paintings to be symbolic, colourful and open to interpretation, whilst brightening the space and adding interest.
Helen Robinson artwork - Library / social room
Helen Robinson lives near St Alvere and has been painting for many years, working mainly in oils and acrylics and known for her animal portraits and still life painting. She has taught many beginners to grasp the importance of learning the fundamentals of painting, which can often be overlooked.
Helen was asked to paint four large abstract canvases for the ACIP library, incorporating the colours of the soft furnishings planned for the room. Helen says she was inspired by the large windows in the building, which lets in plenty of light and creates an open space in the classroom, especially. Her idea was to harmonise the paintings with the beautiful colours in the library and give the viewer an opportunity to see the painting as a window, feel the sense of the depth and think about what they could potentially see on the other side.
