Andree Thobaty is a self-taught artist who lives in Provence and paints modernistic landscapes and still life paintings with a brush and palette knife in rich oils. With ease and spontaneity, the artist layers paint over a dark brown background in flat planes of color. The resulting paintings are sophisticated and dimensional, filled with movement and colors that sing.
Image:
Image:
"Cherry Trees" 13 x 16, Sold
"Abstract Landscape" Sold
Image:
Image:
"Hilltop Town" Oil, Sold
"Venasque" Oil, Sold
Artist's Biography
Andree Thobaty (b. 1940) moved to a village close to Avignon, France, in 1980 and has been painting there ever since. She studied with the late master painter Robert Beaube, in Chateauneuf de Gadagne, but says that her real inspiration comes from light, senses, and sentiments derived from the beautiful countryside of Provence. Andree paints almost exclusively outside. She is a true “pleinairist” who likes to wander around the small villages and fields, taking her little car off the beaten path and capturing the moment with ease and spontaneity. She calls this pictorial poetry because she doesn’t paint what is seen, but what is felt.
We think Andree is one of the finest artists of the region, and we love to see her explore her art by taking it to a greater level of abstraction. Her palette is full of contrast and luminosity. Her colors are clear, pure, and peaceful. Whether she is using a palette knife to achieve a more architectural effect or a brush for more fluidity, the end result is the same: A serene and original vision of Provence that seems to flow naturally and effortlessly.
We love visiting Andree in her charming studio. Built by her husband, who is originally from the mountainous Jura area of France, the studio is a little chalet in their garden complete with window boxes and a winding garden path. The outside is neat and prim and well kept. The inside is an explosion of creativity and contrast with a wide range of exciting and different paintings. And of course we observe the same contrast with this fine artist, whose depth of talent and creativity is just under the surface of a reserved and dignified woman.
