Make Jamie Chung happy

“Those paintings remind me of California. They make me happy and they make me smile”. To lighten a face like Jamie Chung ‘s is a fairly nice job.

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My painting “Le cercle éternel des formes fugitives” seems to have achieved this! It is the first piece selected by Jamie on Limited Art by Saatchi to decorate her new appartment in Atlanta. I think this will keep me painting…

Jamie Chung has played in many movies, she is the gorgeous Valerie Vale on “Gotham”and the influential blogger behind WhatTheChung.

“To publish a first novel is like…

… an opening that does not end at 10pm”. I found this nice quote in a post describing the unique journey that a first novel can be.  Richard Labesque is actually right in it, in this endless vernissage. And by the way for your information, you are on the guest list!

"La source oubliée" Richard Labesque

“La source oubliée” Richard Labesque

I read “La source oubliée” (“The Forgotten Source”) in the shadow of a Greek eucalyptus. When I closed the book, I was proud that he had selected my painting “Rouge” for his cover. It feels really great to be chosen by another artist to accompany his work.

From Russia with love

I’m lucky enough to have followers in more than 45 countries who send nice messages about my work. Russians are one of the most active communities. This interview is a nice illustration of it. If we only met recently, you might learn one or two things about me reading this  English version. If you studied Russian, click on image below.

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From out of the blue

The light of course attracted me in this image. The amber skin on the pink wall. But the sophisticated play of shadows especially.

"From out of the blue". 2017©AntoineRenault. acrylic on canvas 80x60cm

“From out of the blue”. 2017©AntoineRenault. acrylic on canvas 80x60cm

The very frank shadow of the hat on the face and on the shoulder. The more diffuse one that comes from the more distant trees. And the nearby ones: the own shadow of her left breast. Its shadow on the right breast.

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Add a blue parrot coming from out of nowhere and let the photographer Lars Botten build a superbly graphic image. With the no less graphic silhouette of the young Portuguese rising model : Isilda Moreira.

Zero gravity

This weightlessness that you feel when you float lying on the surface … Lightness. As installed in a liquid cloud. Relaxation. No muscle in tension. No pressure points.

"Zero Gravity" 2017©antoinerenault. acrylic on canvas 100x70cm

“Zero Gravity” 2017©antoinerenault. acrylic on canvas 100x70cm

The liquid element compensates for the force of gravity. And this physical balance seems to naturally turn into serenity. The mind clears up. At best it caresses positive thoughts. Thoughts without gravity.

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Archimedes theorized the physical explanation: “Any body, wholly or partially immersed in a stationary fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced”. My father always had a fascination with this phenomenon. And it is undoubtedly by gratitude for his great joys of navigation that he made all his children memorize the formula. Which provided his offspring – moderately equipped for Physics –  a furtive joy at the moment when the subject was finally tackled at school.

Jesi’s hat

Some postures are magnetic. They can sign the personality of an individual even more strongly than its silhouette. I’ve always found it striking.

"Jesi's hat" 2017©antoinerenault.  acrylic on canvas 70x50cm

“Jesi’s hat” 2017©antoinerenault. acrylic on canvas 70x50cm

This is Jesi Le Rae: a radiant and energetic muse with endless legs. Arched like a matador and captured by the solar lens of the brilliant Australian photographer Carly Brown. I’ve been following Carly’s work for a while on instagram. I love her creative universe, discovered thanks to the very inspiring“Last daze”: a deposit of photographic stories that can spice up your daily life in an addictive way. This image caught my eye. I had to paint it. Carly was kind enough to let me base this painting on her work. Jesi accompanied the painting in progress with a communicative enthusiasm. I loved painting this!

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Jesi’s wild hair also inspired this sketch. This is part of my series “sketching in the air” which will be exhibited in Paris soon.

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Agio Nikolaos

Yes.. a bit of an odd title for this picture. I just like the name of the place. Agio Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) is the small rock at the foot of Oia where a chapel is built.

"Agio Nikolaos" 2017©antoinerenault. Acrylic on canvas 50x70cm

“Agio Nikolaos” 2017©antoinerenault. Acrylic on canvas 50x70cm

A perfect diving spot: 15′ swim away from the cliff. Next to the chapel is a small shelter in which a fisherman keeps his nets dry. To lay in the sun after swimming with the back resting on the warm lime of this old wall is true luxury. Enjoy the sheer beauty of this incredible site. Think of the evening you’ll spend up there, at the top of the cliff. Rejoice in advance of this breathtaking view which gives a supplement of taste to all the flavors of the upcoming dinner.

The eternal circle of fugitive forms

To freeze reflections is to catch fugitive forms. They always look alike. And never stop turning into other forms. In an ever-changing unique composition.

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I had in mind to paint this image for quite a long time. I asked myself two questions: will I find a way to make the luminosity of this moment? And how will I name this piece? The light finally came. The name is a piece of poem by Louise-Victorinne Ackerman. A French poetess whose name and work I did not know. But I like the music of these words and how they go with this painting.

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Expo4art. Le Marais, Paris

My stock of paintings made a stop in Paris between the summer expo in Noirmoutier and the autumn exhibition in Paris. Perfect opportunity to take part in a nice contemporary art fair in le Marais. The Halle des Blancs Manteaux: the former Parisian market of 1820 makes the ideal cocoon to house a selection of 70 artists.

antoinerenault-expo4art-artfair-paris17This weekend did not really have the prefect start: the car borrowed from a friend with my 20 canvases inside disappeared in 10′. The time to drink a glass of water and close the door of the apartment. That was 2h before the fair opening!!! Car had been towed away. It was recovered, with all canvases in it. and here we are good last on the starting line to install the stand. With enough time though before the opening for an intimate face-to-face between my dear cousin who was there to help me and her beloved grand mother portrait she was seeing for the first time. Three lovely days followed, filled with great connections and friends gatherings. A real pleasure to meet that many Italians, Americans, flyer expo4art antoinerenaultLondoners, Saudis within the crowd of Parisian amateurs… And as always in these salons, some unique encounters. Like the passage of this Lebanese collector: love at first sight with one of my paintings… which was unfortunately already sold. “Drinks are on me!” she said to recover from her disappointment. And that was champagne for all the visitors of my booth :). There are moments like that.