Vernissage, Seneffe

The opening at Le Centre de l'Eau was a wonderful night. Large numbers of very enthusiastic and knowledgable art lovers began arriving 30 minutes early, apparently a Belgian trait(!). I've never experienced a crowd that displayed this kind of interest in watercolor, it was surprising to me...but probably shouldn't have been, considering the artists I was exhibiting with, and the person who organized the event, Janine Gallizia.

This was the first chance I've had to see Janine's paintings in person, and they are truly exquisite. As are, of course, Joseph's and the others'. You'll see from the photos that mine were too large to ship framed, so we did what has become a trend in some NY galleries with sizable works on paper, and simply attached them to the panels. Not ideal, but it's better than staying home!

The catalog that Janine put together is breathtaking -- it looks like something a major musuem would publish. The reproductions are outstanding, and each artist wrote about the others, which makes for very interesting reading. A nice touch. There is a dedication from one of the sponsors, Winsor & Newton, and a history of the exhibition and its connection with Seneffe. An excerpt from "A word from the town":

Thanks to the initiative and persistance of the creator of the show, Janine Gallizia, a second exhibition of the highest quality is now taking place. More international in style than the first one, as revealed by its title, "On The Water's Edge," it exhibits the work of six major internationally recognised artists of very different origins -- two Australians, one American, one French and two Belgians -- with a common passion for the infinitely subtle, delicate and at the same time fiery, art of watercolour painting. A wonderful invitation to the discovery of a major art, all too often neglected on the european continent.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people standing in line to speak with me, some with interpreters. They asked all kinds of detailed questions about what I'm doing, and told me they have not seen this approach to watercolor in Europe. I received very kind workshop invitations for France and Belgium, among other opportunities. I also signed a lot of autographs -- that hasn't happened too many times at shows back home, makes you feel appreciated!

The only disappointment is that I had to postpone my subsequent plans, and how weird is this -- I'm in Belgium and cancelled my visit to Spain; Joseph Zbukvic was in Spain and cancelled his visit to Belgium (family emergency). C'est la vie! I fly home tomorrow.

Artist websites:
Marc Folly
Janine Gallizia
Stéphane Heurion
Nicholas Simmons
Xavier Swolfs
Joseph Zbukvic