Artists in Residence

Katrin Alvarez exposes the anxieties of modern man in her beautifully peculiar paintings. She depicts the nervousness of an increasingly success driven society - one that she has seen in both an artistic and professional capacity. Katrin Alvarez holds a law degree and is an accomplished writer. She now returns to her roots: painting. Her paintings show primal thoughts of the human subconscious. She foregrounds the feelings that often go repressed for fear of social stigmatization. Katrin Alvarez depicted emotions show an amazing understanding of human psychology. She represents feeling both formally and literally. The intriguing textures of accidental form provide a chaotic backdrop for her work; this form implies uncertainty but also the great satisfaction found in random occurrence. Her figures are unpredictable, but show emotion more directly. Within both a surreal and representational space she transforms human beings into creatures of desire, anguish, confusion and repose. A child of an art-teaching mother, Katrin Alvarez began painting over thirty years ago. Over that time she has exhibited in galleries throughout Germany, Switzerland and Israel.

Philippe Ringlet

In muted, dreamy colors, Philippe Ringlet paints the everyday world in a nuanced, emotionally resonant manner. Working with oil paint on wood, Ringlet's pieces seem bathed in light. His subject matter is simple, yet goes beyond the ordinary still-life genre. Instead of merely representing the natural world, Ringlet suffuses it with personal sensations and subtle emotion. Though his work has an airy quality to it, it also contains a surprising depth, achieved by Ringlet's layering of color and inspired use of perspective. Ringlet grants the viewer access to the very essence of ordinary reality, a space in which color, light and form all convene in beautiful harmony. Philippe Ringlet has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions all over France and throughout Europe. He currently lives and works in Switzerland.

Le Flou S'installe Oil on Wood 51" x 39"    Vision de Tendresse Oil on Wood 11" x 11" Rever Pour Ne Pas Dormir Oil on Wood 39" x 39

Ernestine Tahedl

Flowing panoramas of stupendous natural vistas dominate Tahedl's canvases. At one with the visual spirituality of nature, she injects her work with sweeping swaths of rich color—oranges, deep reds, contrasts of grays and blues, to capture the natural world's glory. Passionate representations of semi-abstract ponds, forests, wonderful flora, and ubiquitous lily pads result, recalling Monet's commanding landscapes. Utilizing immense canvas space, multiple triptychs, and sectioned wood panels in an attempt to expand her painting surface, breathtaking storm clouds reflecting off majestic lakes abound. Residing in Ontario, Tahedl is an elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Her work has been bestowed with numerous international honors, including the Mayor Prize at Kyoto, Japan , as well as the prestigious Queen's Golden Jubilee Medall. Of her work she says, “Although my paintings are recognizable as landscape paintings… I filter these memories onto the canvas as an intuitive rather than an intellectual process… It leads me towards the medieval concept of religious paintings and their spirituality… Colour to me is light.” Echoing Henri Matisse's words she asserts, “Colour was not given to us in order that we should imitate nature. It was given to us that we can express our emotions.”

Bel Canto Acrylic on Wood Panels 65" x 63"   Shadow in a Pond Acrylic on Wood 36" x 80" Cantabile Triptych Acrylic on Canvas 48" x 52"