Ingrid Simons in Portugal

New azulejos & vases   It were perfect summer temperatures and a lot of work the last week! I seriously worked night and day, designing, preparing and painting all the new vases and azulejos.   I had so much ideas that I wanted to experiment with, of course for my ceramics investigation. The azulejos I all painted in the studio of Mestre Xico last week, and all the vases I took back to Obras to paint. This time I could also experiment with different shapes of vases thanks to the mestre. Also with the azulejos, not only blue, also black azulejos, and even a big sized azulejo! It was so nice to do, to be able to fully concentre on this beautiful technique! This weekend and tomorrow the vases and azulejos are fired, fingers crossed!  And more will follow in the Netherlands for sure!   First some photos of enjoing the evening sun with all of our friends at Fundacao Obras, then the 'trabalho douro' photos for this project. Next...

Working at Mestre Xico! Making new azulejos and vases!

NEW Now on view in the exhibition 'Jardim Secreto', Castelo de Evoramonte

I just returned from four very inspiring days in Lisboa. I had the oppertunity to visit the Museu dos Azulejos, Museu de Arte Antiga, Gulbenkian, an true traditional azulejo factory in Belem. Beautiful collections of paintings, azulejos and other ceramics! In the Jardim Botanico in Lisboa and the Parque Monserrat in Sintra I was able to make beautiful pictures for new paintings, azulejos and silkscreenprints. Also at this time the landscapes in Alentejo are beautiful, with all their greens in the meadows, filled with flowers of all colours. With all these inspirations in mind I have started my 3 big canvasses with the basic layer. Today we visited Mestre Xico to talk about all the plans for the new azulejos (ceramic tiles) and new vases, that I would like to make. On saterday I can start with those. Grande abraco from Alentejo!

4saxue plays for Ingrid Simons :  4saxue playing at the inauguration of  'Jardim Secreto', Castelo de Evoramonte (Pt), 18th of May 2013 by Ludger van der Eerden, Fundacao Obras (Pt)

THANK YOU!! OBRIGADA!! For all of your interest, reactions and of course joining us for the opening of the exhibition and the presentation of the publication! It was just a perfect day! Here are some flowers from the meadows filled with flowers from the estate of the Herdade de Marmeleira (Fundacao Obras, Pt) Also this week I made some new photos within the exhibition and of the book, with a real Portuguese background! But...the publication will be a Portugues secret until the revealing in the Netherlands in October at Huub Hannen Gallery!! The publication is now presented in the Castelo de Evoramonte in a special 'azulejos' room. And work has also started at Fundacao Obras : Lots of inspiration is to be found, and the first sketches on the canvasses have been made.  Also next week the work with the ceramic master in Redondo will start for my azulejos project! At this moment I am in Lisboa, doing research for all of this : t oday I was at ...

Vernissage of  'Jardim Secreto' Presentation of the prepublication 'So os caminhos eram meus' Saterday 18th of May 2013, Castelo de Evoramonte (Pt) Photos by Mark van den Eijnden