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| "Noche Del Vino I", Stefan van Drake, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 70 cm. (2008) |
Far-from-emerging painter and alabaster sculptor Stefan van Drake last week opened a show of five naïve paintings, “Noche del Vino,” in Canillas de Albaida, Spain, where he lives.
Van Drake first exhibited his paintings and sculpture in a joint exhibition at the Cómpeta Art Gallery in 2009.
The paintings represent a study of three grape pickers with similar compositions and two paintings from photographs he took of rural Andalusia.
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| "Noche del Vino III" Stefan van Drake, oil on canvas, 50 x 50 cm (2010) |
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| "Noche del Vino II" Stefan van Drake, (Self-portrait) acrylic on canvas, 60 x 70 cm. (2009) |
Van Drake told ArtTraveler (his alter ego):
“I had escaped perhaps what I may consider one day the most original phase, as a child just born and sketching a strange new world, into my second phase in which I sought to study painting, drawing.
“Living in near poverty for 16 months in a village of 300 humans and 400 animals, I ventured into my subconscious and painted like a child, passionately, blindly. That was phase one, which I rarely show people because the acrylic paintings are very strange, even to me.
“I needed to understand the basics, try drawing and painting figures, create more depth in my work, learn, learn and learn some more.
“Van Gogh and Millet influenced me allot and I decided to create a study of three or four paintings designed as a promo poster for ´Noche del Vino´/ Night of the Wine every August in Cómpeta."
It´s a three-day cultural fiesta filled with cultural events, grape stomping, flamenco singing and dancing, a party-´till-you-drop where you can get intoxicated gratis on locally made and very lethal wine.
“I prepared a rough composition, then decided on a limited palette, each very different from the other, and simply forged ahead,” van Drake said.
“The first painting, perhaps the one I like best, took 10 days at 8 hours a day, since I had an entry deadline; with my signature drying in the back seat, I raced to Cómpeta, met the deadline by 20 minutes and took second place.”
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| Cerezo´s Bar, Restaurant & Gallery, Canillas de Albaida |
ArtTraveler shot van Drake´s very short video in which the painter describes provides a personalized “artist´s statement.”
Rock on and practice peace and love.
Stefan, the ArtTraveler ™ |
| "This Way Out" Photograph by Stefan van Drake (2009) |
Breaking News: New ArtTraveler YouTube 11 May video: The Case of the Missing Bronze Grape Picker statue (and dog).
Check out a sculpture or mosaics workshop or walking tour in our beautiful mountains. See: www.spanjeanders.nl and www.competafinearts.com.
Contact me at stefanvandrake@gmail.com or by calling (34) 951 067 703; from the UK at BT landline rates, 0844 774 8349.
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