Biography

Presentation of the artist

A dreamy, inventive little girl creating her own universe day by day. Flowers, pebbles, seashells, animals: all are a source of wonderment for this solitary child.

Chantal-Marie discovered a passion for drawing at the age of twelve. That same year she met two artists ‘exiled’ in the French provinces: the internationally renowned portraitist, J. Rémy Tawil, and painter Cécile d’Arellano. These two magical encounters enabled her to enter the subtle world of art and beauty.

After spending her adolescence in southern France, she flew away to Martinique at the age of 20, to the entrancing discovery of life in the West Indies. She practiced charcoal portraits, then created her first naive oil paintings.

Back in France in 1971, she received a book on Matisse as a gift from her husband. She later said, ‘If I paint, it is thanks to Matisse: he let me dare!!!’ Which did not keep her from studying the history of art, from Bruegel to Picasso. ’It’s very strange,’ she says; ’It’s as if I were living a slice of life in the company of some of these painters. I truly feel the joys and sorrows within them.’ This is even more appreciable, as the influence of Rembrandt, van Gogh and Gauguin, for example, can be felt in three of her current works, which are not mere attempts at painting in the style of…. No, these are veritable ‘Chantal-Maries,’ imbued with the spirit of these three masters. In 1976 she followed her family to Germany and started painting her poetic, imaginary world. At her first exhibition in Offenburg, she was quite surprised by the favorable public reaction to her paintings and the communion experienced, the magic of art at work.

1982 found her in the Paris area. After serious health problems, she once again took up her palette, focusing her research on monochrome painting, executing night-time figurative or imaginative paintings, solely in shades of blue. During this period, she often traveled to southern France by train. As she contemplated nature, she was deeply moved by the sentiment of nature’s endangerment. This observation is recurrent in her conversations: ‘Nature is in danger; we are not respecting our earth.’

In 1987 she returned to live in southern France and decided to depict the beauty of nature in order to heighten the awareness of people who came into contact with her work. Her countryside landscapes, Canal du Midi, and flowering almond trees are odes to Nature. ‘I could paint destruction, pollution, and thus cumulate monstrosities, but ugliness cannot fill and lift hearts.’ For her, there are no useless actions; each gesture counts, and each of us can respect Mother Earth by small daily acts repeated millions of times.

In 1998 her old master (the portraitist of King Farouk, the Aga Khan, and many other personalities), whom she often visited, invited her to come work with him in order to pass on to her his spiritual and pictorial heritage. ‘Do agree to come work with me, Chantal-Marie; two years hence, I shall have imparted to you all that I have learned from my Venetian Master!’

She was deeply touched by his offer, but at the age of 39, with a certain success to one’s credit, it takes courage to return to the study of ancient art, when only modern art achieves success.

Throughout the years, Chantal-Marie had worked passionately on color, movement, and light, yet remained dissatisfied, despite her ceaseless research on light. So, after a week’s reflection, Chantal-Marie accepted Master Tawil’s offer.

Twice a week she worked with her old Master: ‘He is teaching me all I have sought after for years.’

And, for his part, the Master said, ‘I have not had a student like her for ages! It is pure bliss: she is a born artist.’

After six months, ‘The lessons are over,’ he told her. ‘You shall enjoy great success and shall have an international clientele. I am happy that you accepted my bestowal of this knowledge before my final journey: you are my disciple.’

In 1989 she rejoined her husband in Africa, where he was on assignment. She naturally brought with her blank canvas, oil paints, and sketchbooks, which gave rise to highly spontaneous and colorful scenes of life.

Chantal-Marie returned to the West Indies in 1991, after 22 years. This time, her adventure continues on the island of Saint Martin. Having achieved mastery of oil painting, she is daily beseeched by friends, tourists, and gallery owners to produce watercolors. After resisting for one year, she begins to paint watercolors – landscapes and seascapes, in particular – which garner much success.

1992 saw the opening of her small art gallery in Saint Martin. The following year, she offered her island audience more spacious viewing in a house bordering the Simpson Bay lagoon. Hurricane Luis drove her away in 1995.

Since 1999, she has exhibited continuously at the Island of Light / Île de Lumière art gallery on President Kennedy Street in Marigot, Saint Martin island. Many water-colors are on display, but she has returned to oil paintings with some portraits and small landscapes.

Chantal-Marie also works in her studio in southern France near Carcassonne