Have brush, will travel

It's almost four months that we last wrote on this blog, announcing the loss of our dear friend Pierre Lefumat.  And it's around this time, last year, that he was in our studio, offering a Master Class on imitation marble, to a wonderful group of people that will no doubt cherish this experience forever.  He will stay in our hearts, and in the hearts of all those persons he touched with his grace and his simplicity.

Pierre always had a positive attitude in life.  No matter what challenges he had to overcome, he would move on and he would reach out to others.  And he would encourage his friends to do likewise when they were faced with challenges.  In this regard, he was exceptional.

So, taking this as example, we move on and continue on our path.

This year, we find ourselves doing quite a bit of traveling for professional reasons.  The phrase "have brush, will travel" seems to correspond to us.  Since several months, we have had the opportunity to travel to Scotland for a very interesting project, which we will cover in our future blogs.  We also had the chance to travel to Finland, where I taught two one-week wood graining and imitation marble courses in June.  Trompe-l'oeil was also cover in the second week.  These were 2 intensive weeks for the students, as well as for me, the instructor.  But the enthusiasm of the students, who were eager to learn as much as possible, and their respect and kindness, made teaching these two classes a wonderful experience.  A big thanks to all of you, and to Riikka who organised this successful class for the second consecutive year!
In addition to various photos taken during our trip to Finland, we have included a short video - that's a first for us.  ENJOY!

Michel doing a demo on Vert de Mer (Sea Green Marble)

 Two one-week courses on wood graining,
imitation marble and trompe-l'oeil in Helsinki

Discovering local products, here Michel prepares his glaze using local Finnish beer

 Michel doing a demo on Feather Mahogany

 Michel checking a student's panel

Students gathered around to watch Michel's demo

 Finnish turpentine... so, how do you pronounce this...?


Oak panel by Michel

 Michel working on his Sea Green marble panel

Michel checking a student's work

Michel's completed Sea Green Marble (Vert de Mer)

Michel's trompe-l'oeil ornament over a grained background,
another subject taught in class

The birch tree, national symbol of Finland

Samba in Helsinki...!?!
In fact, it was during Helsinki's national day celebrations

The crooners...

Dancers parading in the streets of Helsinki

Pierre Lefumat

Pour Pierre Lefumat

Aujourd’hui, pour supporter et accepter, je dois m’attacher à toutes ces heures que nous avons passées ensemble.

Parfois à parler et à se disputer pour goûter dans le rire les moments simples de l’Amitié.

Ailleurs, et seulement si l’envie venait ou que le temps s’y prête, pour peindre et rechercher les meilleures occasions pour se chamailler encore.

L’année dernière, c’était chez toi, un rendez-vous d’importance où, dans la promesse des meilleures querelles, on avait décidé d’écrire… ensemble.

Aujourd’hui, je revisite touts ces petits morceaux de temps que tu as dispersés dans ma vie, ainsi et par eux, je sais que je pourrai accueillir le refus.

Je sais quelque part que ce jour est écrit et par tous doit être vécu mais je ne peux m’empêcher d’imaginer demain, seulement nourri d’images, de sourires, d’attentions, de cette générosité particulière aux couleurs d’autrefois, de cette beauté humaine, portée avec la justesse de l’élégance connue de tous et que l’on avait apposée, pour économiser les mots, à ton prénom…Pierre.

Pierre, nous garderons tous de toi cette volonté qui te forçait à courir le monde pour la simple beauté d’un geste de métier dédié à la plus simple humilité.

Aujourd’hui s’en est fini.

Le livre est refermé.

Nous sommes tous orphelins.

Les palettes seront rangées, les brosses devront rester sèches.

La blouse blanche sera suspendue.

Les ateliers seront bouclés et les marbres camouflés,

Aucune couleur ne pourra être prononcée.

Une profession prendra le deuil.

Et, chacun, à son tour, comme il le souhaite, dira…

MERCI.

Michel Nadaï, Pierre Lefumat, Kyoko Nadaï

 For Pierre Lefumat

Today, it is the remembrance of all these hours we spent together that will help me bear the pain and accept this loss.

Remembrance of times during which we were just talking, or just squabbling over something, just to taste those simple moments of Friendship.

And at times, and only if the desire came or when the time was right, we would paint and seek for the best occasions to squabble with each other again.

Last year, it was at your home that we had this important rendezvous - guaranteeing another occasion to squabble over something – we had decided to write…together.

Today, I revisit all those little pieces of time that you brought into my life, and through them I can acknowledge this refusal of mine.

Inside of me, I know that such day is written and must be lived by us all, but I cannot imagine tomorrow where I will only be nourished by images… images of your smile, of your attentiveness, of your generosity that portrays the colors of a bygone era, of this inner beauty that you carried with this elegance that so characterized you… and to spare you of all those words, we just need to pronounce your name… Pierre

Pierre, we will keep of you this will that led you to travel the world with the desire to share the simple beauty of a gesture of this craft, dedicated to the simplest humility.

Today it’s over.

The book is once again closed.

We are all orphans.

The pallets will be put aside, the brushes will remain dry.

The ‘blouse blanche’ or painter’s coat will be hanging in its place.

The workshops will be closed and the marbles will be veiled,

No color will be called out.

An entire profession will be in mourning

And, each one of us, in our own way, will say…

THANK YOU.

The completed mural

Here is the mural that was first completed in my studio and then marouflaged (glued) on to the wall.  The mural was 3.40 meters high and 2.50 meters wide. 

Photos of completed mural, done at the studio

And voila, the mural in its 'new' settings
after it has been 'glued on' to the wall.

 

Mural Painting Course Part II / Cours Peinture Murale

A seascape was the focus of the second part of our mural class, during which students learned how to paint the sky, the waves, the sand, vegetation, etc.

Michel: “Painting a seascape always seems to have a relaxing effect on our students… on me as well! And it also is a joy to teach.”

This section also covered painting a figure, with the study of the human form, the flesh-tone, the portrait, the hair, and the rendering of fabric (drapery).

Michel: “I like to use ‘real’ people for my murals. A big thank you to Celine – merci beaucoup – who was the model for this painting.”

In this section students also had the possibility of exploring how to do a perspective drawing ‘intuitively’. While part I of this course consisted of studying the ‘scientific’ method to render frontal perspective drawings, this part delved into how to do a perspective rendering ‘intuitively’.  Still, to succeed in such exercises, a perfect knowledge of the more ‘scientific’ approach is necessary.

As we’re coming close to the end of this 6-week course – and, incidentally, our 5-months course – we would like to thank all those who participated in the complete course and individual modules. It’s only the beginning of an exciting journey that lies ahead for all, and we wish you all the best!

We would also like to thank all our friends who ‘followed’ us in this blog.

Please keep checking our blog during the upcoming months.

Our next 5-months course resumes in the fall, with the Wood graining and Imitation marble module.  Class will start on September 27th.  Write to us to receive more information at michel.nadai@wanadoo.fr

Michel and Kyoko Nadaï

Students watching as Michel does a demo

 Michel adding the shadows

 Michel adding finishing touches

"Paysage marin" by Michel Nadai 

close up of "Paysage Marin" by Michel Nadaï  

Mural Painting course part I / Cours Peinture Murale

The in-depth approach to perspective allowed participants to have a real hands-on approach to this amazing subject, which is also such an important tool in mural painting.  After spending time working on perspective drawings, participants of our 6-week Panoramics and Painted Murals course were then immersed in yet another fascinating subject: framework of the image, the composition, and the use of color. 

The painting section of this class allows participants not only to paint, but to also study the techniques of painting the sky, trees, foliage, landscape, architectural elements, study and understand the different planes, etc.

Here are some photos of the first panel covered in class.

Michel preparing his canvas

 Michel showing how to paint the background

Michel doing a demo on the lion-head fountain

Work in progress: Mural with fountain, by Michel Nadaï

Close up of mural by Michel

Another close up of mural by Michel 

Ferrie, from Holland working on his panel

Perspective

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our friends!  We wish you a year of happiness and joy, health, success and prosperity!

After our 2-week Christmas and New Year break, classes at Atelier Nadaï resumed on January 4th with the Panoramics and Painted Murals module.  This 6-week long program started with an in-depth study on perspective.

Perspective is a fundamental tool for us decorative painters, and this is especially true when you decide to include painted murals in your range of services.

Prior to the Renaissance, paintings lacked accurate spatial representation. Although there was an attempt to represent distance by adding larger figures and objects in the foreground and smaller ones in the foreground, the perspective rules were not really understood. When the method for drawing linear perspectives was developed in the Renaissance, it completely transformed the way artists drew and painted. These methods are still used today and help make our drawings and paintings more realistic.

The hands-on exercises and detailed step-by-step explanations presented during our 6-week Panoramics and Painted Murals module will help our students gain a better understanding of perspective. Once they understood the fundamental principles of perspective, our students will have acquired a very powerful tool that will help give their drawings and murals a much more precise and realistic rendering.

We will be posting photos taken during this 6-week course.  But before that, here are a few photos taken in front of our studio on Christmas Eve...

Bright sunset on Christmas Eve

Beautiful rainbow on Christmas Eve!

Trompe-l'oeil course - week four

Last Friday was the last day of our Trompe-l'oeil class.  In the final panel covered in class, I incorporated various new elements such as the drapery, the rendering of a statue inside a niche, and the study of a trompe-l'oeil panel in perspective.  This introduced my students to the notion of highlights and shadows done in perspective.

The 4-week ornaments and moldings painted in trompe-l'oeil course is indeed a very intensive program, loaded with information and tons of hands on practice.  As students learn  advanced techniques, they will put them into practice on exquisite panels that will greatly enhance their portfolios.

A big hand to all of you for having completed this course!   

And a very Merry Christmas to all our friends and followers!

May the new year bring you lots of happiness and joy, abundance and prosperity, good health and everything you wish for!

 
On the last day of our 4-week Trompe-l'oeil class...
we had snow!

And, continuing from our previous 'page'
 here is Michel's finished panel

     

close up of panel

One more 'snow' photo!

Michel giving step-by-step instructions

Another gorgeous panel taught in class
Shown below is Michel's work

Close up of trompe-l'oeil niche

Close up of entablature comprising ornaments,
dentils and moldings

Trompe-l'oeil is all about light and shadow

We have less than 2 weeks to go in our Moldings and Ornaments painted in Trompe-l'oeil course and I am very happy with the way my students have progressed these past few days!  It seems just like yesterday that I was explaining to them the importance of getting their filets or linings right.  Today they understand this new 'language' of trompe-l'oeil and are continuing to explore new techniques I'm showing them in class. 

Michel giving a detailed explanation during a demo

Michel showing how to tackle the central ornaments

Students watching attentively as Michel adds on
the details that will define the ornaments

Students at work

and another demo...

To be continued...

Trompe-l'oeil moldings and ornaments galore!

During this 4-week program Michel led the class inside the magical world of trompe-l'oeil which, as described in his book, Art & Techniques: Decorative Painting, encompasses the study of highlight and shadow, imitation moldings, and decorative ornamentations of style.

After teaching the filets, or linings, Michel took the time to explain various architectural molding profiles in detail.  The techniques covered in class are similar to studying a new language - like a new set of codes - that will help students create the illusion that will give their painted objects a three-dimensional character.

Michel giving detailed, step-by-step instructions

Students watching closely during a demo

Michel checking student's work

Michel relaxing, as he waits for students
to gather for the demo

Students' panels lined up on our studio's wall

Another demo by Michel -
a decorative ornamentation of style painted in trompe-l'oeil

Michel's panel - work in progress