Portrait of a painter
Legend : Pierre Vallon, guest of honour of the Fall Art Show

The guest of honour of the First Fall Art Show, organised by the tourist office, is a well-known Saint-Avertinois of those who, more or less, are interested in art painting : Pierre Vallon.
Already differentiated again and again during previous Art Show in Saint-Avertin, noticed in France and abroad, Pierre Vallon is a man as well as an artist. Away from schools, societies and others cliques, he naturally followed the line that he had always fixed himself ; There was no stereotyped language with him, nor did he feel he belonged to a superior spot occupied by artist. Exchange to know better this lover of Nature.
NR : You are Saint-Avertinois since?
Pierre Vallon : "I arrived here prewar period. At that time, Saint-Avertin was a big village".
NR : How did you arrive at art painting?
PV : "During my job, I have, by force, having abandoned art painting. Not by taste, but lack of time, because to paint, it is needed to have desire and time. Desire, I feel him since the age of 10 years. My father drew, my grandfather drew, and the child that I was always drew. And I met a Master, an outstanding pastellist : Pierre Petit. He taught me the principles which serve me even today".
NR : Have you a subject of predilection?
PV : "I am an impressionnist painter and paint only with my easel put in Nature. Current fashion is to reproduce engravings according to postcards, photos. This this is not painting. In painting, you have first the feeling felt in front of subject, then light which lights subject. One and the other have to be conjugated. And with pastels painting, the time is often counted to you ; for a painting, I never exceed two hours. Everything must go quickly, otherwise light changes and everything escapes from you."
NR : Have you Masters and favourite colour?
PV : " My reference art painters are Pissarro, Seurat which painted by dots in the infinity, and Monet. This last painted a lot in Creuse (French region). Recently, I went on its traces and I discovered a superb land and which inspired me. As for my favourite colour, it is something else ; colour depends on the place where you are. For me, in Touraine, predominant tone are the blue. That is why I use it a lot. I notably used it for my pastel paintings of the Castle of Artigny, that I offered to the owner and whose reproductions he use for its menus and wine lists. But I do not use this tone in a region as Brenne."
NR : Among your many paintings, is it whom you prefer?
PV : "I am proud of those of the Castle of Artigny about which we spoke at instant, who allowed me to acquire some international notability since recently, Coty foundation, who maintains the memory of the work of the perfumer – and constructor of the Castle of Artigny – kept one of my pastels to illustrate one of its booklets".
NR : Does painting bring anything in ?
PV : "Yes, it brings me friends. As for the money, thanks to my retirement income, I do not need it. This allows me not to try to sell to live. On this plan I remain entirely free and I am happy there."
NR : You are guest of honour of the Fall Art Show of Saint-Avertin. What reactions does it inspire you ?
PV : "I am flattered. The Art Show of Saint-Avertin is one of the nicest of the department. The place of exhibition, the light of this place, the quality of reception contributed to assure success. Add to it the degree of latitude left in artist to display, without being to make to sell to display and you will understand why this Art Show is appreciated of the visitors as artists exhibitors. For my part, I introduce a dozen of pastel paintings among them a small restaurant with music and dancing (guinguette) similar to the one that knew Le Fouqueux de la "Belle-epoque".
NR : Pierre Vallon, are you a happy man?
PV : "Thanks to art painting, yes. When I paint, the time stops, the small bothers disappear, I forget everything and I evolve in another world."
Purposes gathered by Jean-Pierre LAUTMAN

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