Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Joseph Raffael

One of my "Bucket List" dreams was to one day travel to France to see the astounding works of Joseph Raffael. http://www.josephraffael.com/ Soka University is presently displaying a collection of his best works right here in Aliso Viejo, California!  I would love to know how they transported these giant watercolor gems. Sometimes dreams fizzle as reality, but there was no disappointment in viewing these true masterpieces.
Brilliant colors abound on giant sunlit florals that reach from the paper.  Blue skies back a massive branch teeming with white blossoms.  On one particularly amazing piece, Raffael gives us a glimpse of his studio with a wall of an artwork hodgepodge beside a french door leading to the garden.  A massive birdcage anchors the side and gives depth to the scene.  Another endearing portrait of his wife, Lannis, touches one's heart.  Buy a plane ticket to California if you need to, but don't miss the opportunity to view this amazing show while it's in America. Soka will continue the exhibition through April 15th. It's open Monday through Friday for FREE. Soka University - Joseph Raffael Art Exhibition

11 comments:

  1. YAY, you're back ... and standing beside one absolutely gorgeous painting!

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  2. I am soooooo jealous!!! I would love to see that exhibit. I bet it is spectacular in person. I have a naive question, I've been wondering since I read a couple of articles about these paintings. Are they pieced together or on one giant piece of paper? Thanks so much for sharing!!

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  3. It looks like they are done on rolls placed vertically side-by-side and they slightly overlap. The connection is amazing and unnoticed from any distance. Up close you can see the seam, but it's intriguing - just adds to the wow factor. The framing is interesting, too. They are floated, and undulate throughout the piece with the deckled edges showing. The whole thing is remarkable.

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  4. Cheryl,

    Great to see works like Joseph's and I'm glad you got to see part of your dream come true. The other part will happen someday :0)!

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  5. What a gorgeous painting, those colors are amazing! you are so lucky!

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  6. cheryl no idea of the scale of his work .... you are SO lucky !

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  7. That painting is gorgeous! And huge! haha

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  8. رائعة لوحة الرسم انتي فنانة مذهلة

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  9. Love this piece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great!! Thanks for sharing. I paint miniatures so it is nice to see a big art piece!!

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