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| Joanny, an artist of international acclaim, is well recognized for his
paintings of the Provence region in Southern France. It is not by accident
that he chose to live and raise his family in this area. The lure of an
artist for the sun soaked landscape that creates colors so vibrant and
surreal that it drew such great artists of vision as Van Gogh, Matisse,
Cezanne, and Gauguin. Joanny steps out of his front door and the world
around him becomes a painting waiting to unfold. Through his paintings
we can visualize the lavender fields of Vacluse, the sunflower fields
on the road to the village of Gordes, the poppy fields of Provence in
spring, the regal beauty of the olive and cypress trees, the stoic stone
pine trees; and his inviting roads which lead to the small farmhouses
in the country or to the deep blue-green of the Mediterranean Sea.
Joanny, (Jean Tierant), was born in Paris in 1931. His father was a master calligrapher and his mother worked as an architectural designer. The rich creative influences of his parents instilled in Joanny an uncanny passion and talent for drawing. In his early teens, he headed off to the stimulating environment of the Montmarte area of Paris. He spent long afternoons in the studios of artists and friends where he was able to study their techniques. They gave him brushes and canvases to use and encouraged him to develop his career. These mentors recognized the talent in one so young and were thrilled when he sold his first painting. But the money didn't come in fast enough after Joanny met and married the love of his life, Roseline. With two small children and a wife, Joanny set aside his love of painting for the security of a career in sales. It wasn't until many years later that he would be able to turn his attention back to his passion for painting. Painting in oils, Joanny uses 2 palettes, separating the warm and the cool colors. He first preps his canvas then begins the painting. As he paints to capture the colors of Provence, he relies on the contrast between the vibrant warm colors of the sun exposed landscape and the cool transition of shadow. The waters of the Mediterranean beckon with the deep blues and teals that reflect the mood of the sky and the depth of the sea. He reveals the rural beauty of an old road that leads to a provincial farmhouse. He captures the very essence of the beauty of the South of France. For the last 20 years, Joanny has been painting and exhibiting his
art. In 1988, he had a one man exhibit at the Salon LA SEYNE. Then for
the next 11 years he had many shows in the South of France. It was in
the summer of 1999, at an exhibit in AIX EN PROVENCE, that an agent
from the United States saw his artwork and immediately signed him into
a contract that has changed his life: from a recognized artist in the
South of France to an artist of international stature with exhibitions
from California to New York and in England. |
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