I’ve been exhibiting the work of Waking Jean-Baptiste for many years now. He’s a very talented artist, Haitian-born, now living and working in France. I was very pleased to receive this week some very beautiful work by his equally talented brother, Nyperking Jean-Baptiste, still in Haiti. These paintings of the cabotage, or market boats of Haiti are very fine indeed. Haitian subject matter, painted in a very impressionistic style. Also received, were two very different styled works by Waking, who is taking the nom-de-plume of “Texy Fram”, I presume exclusively for these more contemporary works. They all hang together in this installation, looking very good indeed!
It’s been a while since the gallery has received a new painting by St. Martin-based artist Paul Elliott Thuleau. This work, “BBJ2”, is the second version of his painting of the iconic restaurant BooBooJam. It’s a very fine painting, and as always, the shadows and the clarity of the light in the work which creates the intrigue and beauty.
Many thanks to my brother and sister-in-law who were just here on Island. They treated me to week of feasting across this gastronomic delightful land, and I think my 3 favourite plates were the duck at Malliouhana, the lamb at Veya and the jerk shrimp at Blanchard’s. I’ve said it before, but if we were a fab Island in the Caribbean with only ONE of these (among many other) great restaurants, we’d be happy enough, but we have an abundance of astounding talent cooking in our kitchens!!!
I find these 3 works by Francis Eck, just into the gallery, to be so evocative of the spectacular landscape we oooh and aaaah at every day. Eck is a native of France, and has been living in St. Martin for about 20 years. The work is painted with pure oil paint, and manipulated on the surface with a palette knife. These three, “Au Mouillage” (At Anchor), “Au Bord de la Plage” (Next to the Beach), and “Mer Insondable” (Unfathomable Sea) are as exquisite as the beautiful Caribbean seas, captivating our senses – always…...
Had a great meet-up with the marquetry artist Jean-Pierre Straub on Sunday. Perfect breakfast at Straw Hat, and had a number of superb new works left for the gallery. If you remember, all these gems are created with wood inlay! These two are particularly fine – “Jardin Tropical (Tropical Garden), and Case Coleur (Colourful House). His “Anguilla Beach” is also quite marvelous. Any viewers figure out where that is?? I’ll have all his work up on his section of the site within a day or two.
I’ve known the very talented artist Tanya Clarke for about 20 years now, so I was delighted to attend the opening of her exhibition “Straight Outta Africa” at her Phoenix Gallery in South Hill. These new paintings were inspired by her travels through Africa in 2015, and are absolutely gorgeous. Her safari adventures come to life in these new works. Congrats!
Bravo to Marc Alvarez, new executive chef at Malliouhana Hotel! Dinner last night was rather spectacular. Started with “Little Gem lettuce and fine herb salad” – those oranges slices combined with a perfect vinaigrette peaked my appetite. My “Seafood Spaghetti” was a decadent bowl of delights, with clams, mussels, snapper and calimari all heaped on lovely spaghetti with a gorgeous sauce. I was absolutely too full for dessert till the dessert menu came. Oh me, oh my, the Valrhona Chocolate Semifreddo was astounding. I love a dessert who sends me to Google….. That “tongue” of a cookie was made with caramel and sea salt……
Pierre-Louis Riche, is a well-known Haitian painter, known mostly for his Botero-like interpretations of his Haitian countrymen (and women). I love those, and exhibit them, in fact. These still life paintings, dating from the 1990’s are a completely different genre, and are absolutely captivating in their beauty. I particularly love the way the bounty of the harvest is portrayed, and the extraordinary light that seems to eminate from the surface of the paintings.
taking the nom-de-plume of “Texy Fram”, I presume exclusively for these more contemporary works. They all hang together in this installation, looking very good indeed!
