Artist Marion Jiranek at the Palettes Carougeoise from 4 to 13 March 2016

I WAS delighted to see that one of my favourite artist/illustrators Marion Jiranek will be participating in the 80th edition of the Palettes Carougeoise, an annual collective art exhibition at the Place du Théâtre in Carouge, from Friday, 4 to Sunday, 13 March 2016.

Marion’s beautiful aquarelle and ink sketches of cats and fairies, her oil paintings of peaceful forest settings, and watercolour panoramas of city and countryside scenes capture their subjects with a loving eye for detail, a gift for fantasy and touches of whimsy, as well as oodles of charm that are highly valued by her ever-growing circle of followers.

Gathering artists since 1936

With the objective to “keep the Palette spirit of brotherhood, gather artists who feel well together and have fun meeting in friendship”, the Palette Carougeoise has brought together a variety of painters and sculptors on a more-or-less regular basis since its inception in 1936.

This year more than 50 artists between the ages of 30-to-80-something will be on hand to display mostly figurative but also some abstract works. Skills levels vary from masters of the classical school of painting to those not quite of that calibre but noteworthy nevertheless.

Entrance to the exhibition is free and while selling the works is not the main goal you’re welcome to indulge in a purchase if something really grabs your eye and heart … and thereafter your wallet.

Themes of movement and equilibrium

Of course, it will be hard to resist Marion’s contribution, which will include 14 works, 12 in watercolor and two in oil. Six are devoted to the theme of fairies, five are panoramas (two vertical scenes of Freiburg and three horizontal ones of Geneva) and two are oil paintings of forest scenes.

Her final contribution, a circular, rotating illustration depicting a 360-degree overhead panorama of the Cours St Pierre (the square in front of St Pierre Cathedral in the Old Town) is Marion’s entry in the Palette’s annual competition for the Prix de la Ville de Carouge, which each year focuses on a different theme, this year’s being “movement” for painters and for sculptors, “equilibrium”.

 Update: Marion was announced winner of the Prix de la Ville de Carouge at the vernissage on Friday, 4 March. 

Enjoy a coffee with the artists on Sundays

Exhibition opening times are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2pm to 7pm, Wednesday from 2pm to 10pm (Wed 9th at 7.30pm in the presence of the Friends of la Palette and the Old Timers jazz band) and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 6pm (on Sunday mornings enjoy a free coffee with the artists). Marion will be on hand to meet visitors on Friday, the 4th and Sunday, the 13th of March.

Palette Carougeoise, Salle des Fêtes de Carouge, Place du Théâtre, rue Ancienne 37.

Geneva’s Women Artists of the Past and Present

In honor of International Woman’s Day on Tuesday, 8th March, Marion Jiranek will participate during a guided tour offered (presumably in French) by Geneve Escapade, the city’s association of cultural tour guides. The tour, entitled Geneve au bout du pinceau, will focus on women artists and illustrators who lived in Geneva and contributed to its artistic renown.

Three 1.5-hour tours will depart from the front of Geneva’s Art and History Museum at Rue Charles-Galland 2, 1206 Geneve at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm on the 8th. Participation is free but pre-registration is obligatory at: inscriptions@geneve-escapade.ch. For more information, contact: info@geneve-escapade.ch

During the course of the tour, Marion Jiranek will give a 20-minute talk about her work as a painter/illustrator. She will also undertake a new panoramic sketch of the crossroads where the Old Town streets of la Grand-rue, la Treille, les Canons, and l’Hôtel-de-Ville intersect geographically as well as culturally and historically.

Weather permitting the illustration will be undertaken outdoors, otherwise at a nearby café, the Restaurant-Brasserie de l’Hôtel de Ville. Participants can also view a collection of her works at the nearby Galerie Burgener, Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville 11, 1204, in the Old Town.

To read an interview (in French) with Marion by Escapade tour guide Hélène Vibourel, just click here.

Marion Jiranek
Artiste en images