Uncategorized

December Monthly Challenge

Paris
Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, 1951
Oil on canvas, 12 7/8 x 18 (33 x 45.5)
Inscribed on stretcher ‘A Rex avec toute l’amitié de Vieira’ and ‘à Vieira’

About the Art

According to Guy Weelen, this picture ‘does not represent any specific or special view. It is primarily a composition, evolved as the work progressed, but also dependent on the first marks inscribed on the canvas. It is true all the same that there is an influence of the “environment”, and according to Vieira da Silva, it was painted while she was living in the rue de la Glacière. It is also marked by the Parisian light. Yet it could just as well have been called “Composition” as “Paris”. Certain elements are reminiscent of Lisbon; it is in the form of a city (?); yet it also evokes the realm of memory. It reconstitutes the long passage of time past, when Lisbon seemed like nostalgia and Paris like an omen, but it is certainly not a copy of reality. It is perhaps a homage to the right angle, or the square, but the triangles on the left, unexpected in the composition, give it, it is true, a flavour of something seen. Very misleading!’ (letter of 7 March 1970).
Published in:
Ronald Alley, Catalogue of the Tate Gallery’s Collection of Modern Art other than Works by British Artists, Tate Gallery and Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London 1981, pp.747-8, reproduced p.747

About the Artist
Maria Helena Vieira da Silva born 1908 – 1992.
School of Paris painter in oils and gouache, lithographer, engraver and designer. Born in Lisbon, daughter of a diplomat. Began studying drawing, painting and sculpture in Lisbon. Moved to Paris in 1928 and attended a succession of art schools, including the Grande Chaumière and the Académie Scandinave; studied sculpture under Bourdelle and Despiau, painting under Dufresne, Friesz, Léger and Bissière, and engraving under Hayter. Married the Hungarian painter Arpad Szenes in 1930. Visited Hungary, Spain and Lisbon. First one-woman exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Paris, 1933. The sight of the criss-cross of streets in Lisbon in 1935 contributed to her growing interest in perspective, the inversion of space, discontinuity, etc. Lived in Rio de Janeiro 1940-7, then returned to Paris. Took French nationality in 1956. Awarded the Grand Prix at the 1961 São Paulo Bienal and the Grand Prix National des Arts 1963. Has designed stained glass and tapestries, and illustrated with engravings René Char’s L’Inclémence lointaine 1961. Lived in Paris and in a village in the Loiret.

Our Sponsors
Our Sponsors this month are Creative Impressions In Clay and Glass Bead Art.
Please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!
How to enter the Monthly Challenge:
1. You need to have a Pinterest account. Go get one ASAP if you don’t have one already. It’s easy, fun and inspiring.
2. Email us at [email protected] to get added to the monthly challenge board.
Subject: Monthly Challenge Board Request
You will be emailed an invite to the board within 48 hours. Accept the invite and you are ready to pin your entries.
3. Two ways to pin your entry to the board.
Pin your photo from the internet (on your blog, Etsy shop, etc.)
Add your photo directly from your computer

Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. We post the art to be used as your inspiration to create. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

An Art Bead must be used in your piece to qualify for the monthly challenge.

***Beads strung on a chain, by themselves and beads simply added to wire or cord will not be accepted.***

Please add the tag or title DEC ABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is December 31st. 
You may upload 2 entries per month.

ENTRIES for ART BEAD ARTISTS!!

• Beads Makers Pinterest Board-Art beads must be created by you and fit the Art Bead Scene’s monthly challenge theme. They can be made for the challenge or ones you have made before. 2 entries per month are allowed. 
One entry will be picked by the editors each month for a free month of advertising on the Art Bead Scene. Bead entries have to be pinned by the 30th of the month.
Beads only – do not post jewelry on this board. If a post doesn’t fit the challenge it will be deleted.

Monthly Challenge Recap

• Please post at least one single shot of your creation on the Pinterest Board. This will be used to make a collage for the Monthly Challenge Gallery. Every creation will be added to the collage, regardless of a blog post. So everyone gets included!

Your entry must be on Pinterest 2 days BEFORE the recap to be included.

• Be sure to share with us the name of the art bead artist in the description of your photo so that if you are selected for the weekly Perfect Pairings on Wednesdays, both you as the designer and the art bead artist can get the credit you both deserve!

• An InLinkz button will be added to the bottom of the Monthly Challenge Recap post. Here you will be able to link up your blog post if you have one. It is no longer necessary to add your blog post URL to the description unless you want to. Be sure to hop around and see all the great inspiration and leave some comment love!

• The Monthly Challenge Recap with Blog Tour will be posted on December 31st.

Monthly Challenge Winners

• One prize winner will be selected at random from all pictures posted on the Pinterest board.

• One prize winner will be selected at random from all blog posts added to the hop for the Monthly Challenge Recap post. So if you want to be in the pool for the second prize, be sure to use the InLinkz code at the bottom of the post to share your process and inspirations!

• Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on January 1st.

Perfect Pairings :: Designer + Art Bead Artist

• Formerly the Featured Designer of the Week, our new Perfect Pairings will focus on both the jewelry designer and the art bead artist. 

• Be sure to point out all the art bead artists in your work in the description of the photo on the Pinterest Board. Links to their website or shop are appreciated. That way we can all find new art beads to love!

• From all the entries during the month, an editor will pick their favorite design to be featured every Wednesday here on ABS, so get those entries in soon.

What is an Art Bead?

An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

***A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

Beaded beads, stamped metal pendants or wire-wrapped components are not considered art beads for our challenge.***

You Might Also Like

Previous Story
Next Story

3 Comment

  1. Linda - Earthshine.co.uk
    December 2, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    I'd just like to say how much I am enjoying the monthly challenges. It has opened up my eyes to inspirational artists that I knew nothing about. Thankyou.

  2. Saraccino
    December 3, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    What a great selection this month! I was at first a little bit…. mh… and then I started really looking at it. The text is right "very misleading" but with what a beautiful sense and atmosphere! Also for me I can see a reflection of a city, Lisabon rather than Paris, the light, the summer, the colours, the squares of the houses… and actually the more I am drawn in, the less abstract it somehow becomes. I get the feeling of a city in summer light, reflected in the water before (even a boat to be seen).

    This is what art is about for me: To evoke emotions. Even the pieces who are invoking highly negative emotions, also them, in the end it is not about pretty but the impact a piece has for me.

    I really love this piece!

  3. Elizabeth
    December 7, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    This painting is fun and so evocative of a time and place. Very Mad Men…

Comments are closed.