Paintings are for me an infinite source of joy and an incredible stimulation to learn. They provoke endless curiosity and questioning: How were they built? What materials were used? What mastery of light, shadow, color and shape makes them such a masterpiece? What was the historical context? What aim was the painter pursuing? What did they mean to the viewers in their time, and what do they mean to us today? Not least, why do I love them? 

I find that practice is key to understanding, and perhaps more importantly, to ever more deeply enjoying beautiful works by others.  My approach is very traditional: I believe that mastering a craft is a necessary step to freely expressing oneself. I have had the privilege to practicing the old way, in a studio under the instructions of an experienced painter. I have done academic drawing and sight-size in Florence, studied materials with an experienced restorer in France and practiced oil painting techniques in England.

Marie-Claire Hainaut-Rouelle