BIRTH OF IDEA
« Creation » is the result of long work and almost permanent attention, evident in the French cultural and decorative patterns visible in churches, on Parisian ceilings, on building friezes, etc. Nothing is further from the truth than to imagine draftsmen, engravers or painters impulsively producing a stroke of genius. It is always a slow, thought-out, elaborate process. Even before conception, a state of sensory and intellectual awareness already exists. This mixture of floating observation and mental work will generate an idea. « Painting is a mental exercise », said Leonardo da Vinci.
A form of continuous reflection, supported by a strong professional culture/work ethic.
In the case of arts applied to everyday life, there is a preoccupation with current trends, differences in taste according to culture, and lifestyle changes.
Hence, the idea that serves as a starting point for design is the result of an
already-existing genesis.
For the « Marguerite » motif, I observed the ceilings of Parisian Haussmannian apartments, which are often decorated with stucco rosettes.
Rosace d'un plafond haussmanien à Paris
serviette en papier éditée
For the Bérain model, I went back to Versailles to see his ornamentations. I then carefully studied how he combined the decorative elements to make his style recognizable.
I soaked it all in.
Le château de Versailles
Assiette en faïence dessin dit "à la Bérain"
Gravure originale de Bérain
Première esquisse de dessin à la Bérain destiné à une nappe Beauvillé
dessin répétitif dit "à la Bérain"
Dessin de nappe dit "à la Bérain", essai de couleur
nappe éditée dit "à la Bérain"
The transition from idea to graphic design is not immediate either. There is still a need for observation, documentation and research phases to set the implementation project/phase on a coherent and harmonious path.
The design choices are then decided (type of technique, staging, etc.), and this also takes time.
When these phases are finally completed, the technical part can begin. It is not a question of reproducing but of drawing what we see, in the way we perceive it. For the same object, some see a shape with drawn contours, in a background, while others see differences in light, and others see something else. This is what makes each drawing radically original, the choices of colouring further accentuating the specificity/uniqueness of a piece of work.
After the sketch, the drawing, and then the color – depending on the case - , it is then time to adjust/adapt the tones.
In fact, a print on cotton does not give the same reflections as does a gouache on paper. Several successive printing tests are therefore carried out. This takes, on average, six months of work, during which one can work on several projects at certain times, but not at others.
Enfin, au bout, la réalisation de produits profondément originaux, rares, et précieux.
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