Estelle Vera
About
“Born in the countryside of Switzerland, I probably felt in love with nature with my first cry. I have always enjoyed the freedom of strolling through the woods, climbing trees, lying in the grass and dreaming into the clouds. It has certainly made a strong impact on my journey.
Also the fact that my mother was painting as already her mother and certainly all the art books in our home had a strong fascination for me. Observing my Mum’s deep concentration on every brush stroke or lingering with the paintings of the old masters, studying the light of a candle or the texture of a medieval carpet kept my attention for hours. Therefore it became clear very early that it is the way of an artist I have to go.
After five years of study at the Lucerne School of Art and Design I was drawn without hesitation to Italy, where I continued studying painting at the Art Academy of Bologna. It was not just the vibrant atmosphere at the academy, but also the rich Italian culture with its overflowing pot of art history and its joyfulness that influenced my way further and made me develop a more generous attitude towards life itself.
By integrating any suitable media in the context of the respective project, my focus was and is multidisciplinary (EVS). Yet about ten years ago I discovered very surprisingly my love for still life painting and a parallel journey took its way.
At the beginning I just enjoyed the playful approach to the overwhelming abundance of colors, perspectives and patterns. The move to the coast of South England brought new inspirations and the conversation deepened. The subtle colors, the sensitive light and the beauty and fragility of the objects found on my walks along the beaches became once more a dive into silence. As an honoring of simplicity and in a slow process paintings emerge filled with great wonder.
My very current work is mainly focused on the mesmerizing beauty of the beach pebbles. The inspiring encounter of equal simplicity and complexity in each and every beach pebble fills me with awe, – or as Henry David Thoreau put it:
“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” (H.D. Thoreau “On the Wisdom and Simplicity of Life”)
However I hope my deep love for the wonder and beauty in all things and my true passion for painting can be felt in my work…
Estelle Vera
RA Summer Exhibition 2023
Royal Academy of Arts / London // Annual Exhibition 2023 // Quiet Living
Rye Art Gallery / Rye, East Sussex
Bath Society of Artists / Bath, Somerset // Winter Group Show 2022/23
Linden Hall Studio –Contemporary Art Gallery / Deal, Kent // Winter Group Show 2021/22
Linden Hall Studio –Contemporary Art Gallery / Deal, Kent
Wells Art Contemporary 2021 / Wells Cathedral / Wells, Somerset // Winter Group Show 2020
Linden Hall Studio – Contemporary Art Gallery / Deal, Kent // Christmas Exhibition 2020
Lime Tree Gallery / Long Melford, Suffolk and Bristol // Small Sizes – Kleine Formate
Galerie Carla Renggli / Zug, Switzerland // Miniatures and Masterstrokes – The Christmas Show 2020
Rye Art Gallery / Rye, East Sussex // Winter Group Show 2019
Linden Hall Studio – Contemporary Art Gallery / Deal, Kent
Royal Institute of Oil Painters ROI / Annual Exhibition 2019 / Mall Galleries London
Royal Society of Marine Artists RSMA / Annual Exhibition 2019 / Mall Galleries London
Royal Society of British Artists RBA / Annual Exhibition 2019 / Mall Galleries London // Small Sizes – Kleine Formate 2015
Galerie Carla Renggli / Zug, Switzerland