VALÉRIE COLLYMORE
French sensitivity in America
Born to a doctor and nurse in a small town in New Jersey, USA, circumstances brought me to the French Riviera at the age of 9. Recently widowed, my intrepid mother confidently put her two children in French elementary school, urging us to achieve a high academic standard, despite the temporary handicap of the language barrier.
I have thrived educationally and happily on these sunny Mediterranean hills and beaches, amassing unique memories, rich experiences, lifelong friends and multiple languages. At the age of 18, uncertain about pursuing a career in the arts, I embarked on the study of medicine, and decided to return to the United States to pursue my degrees. My artistic aspirations were put on hold for several decades, during which time I gave a lot of energy for the benefit of many other people. After the encouragement of many members of the artist community, and recently with the children who left home, I realized that life finally offered me the opportunity to pursue an artistic career ... I launched with all my heart!
With a preference for realistic and impressionistic art, and drawn to powerful compositions enhanced by noticeable lighting effects, my goal is to share the scenes and subjects that have triggered in me feelings of joy, wonder, serenity or playfulness, and to reveal the new processes used in the creation of each collection.While prioritizing the emotional impact of the moment, which I hope with each work to translate with brushstrokes, I strive also to be aware of the academic principles of art.
Having been seduced by the sensations and adventures of outdoor work, which offers many possibilities to try to express the divine elegance of nature, I feel a passion for still lifes born in me (which allows me, like during my scientific career, to manipulate variables according to permutations that I choose), for figurative subjects with a theme, and for portraits.
