It was in May of 2015 that I began my research and study into what would become my Breaking Through collection. I painted Breaking Through during my extended sojourn on the Sonoma Coast in the Winter of 2016. The collection was going to focus on nature, wildlife, horses, stags, trees, some reliefs, and perhaps some collages. I would paint only what I felt called to emulate, this alone, being my sole requirement. In the end, my work did include all that was on my initial focus list, yet a predominant theme evolved; the Camargue horses.
I first developed a fascination with the Camargue horses upon coming across beautiful pictures of them for my subject research prior to leaving. I collected the images and stuffed them in a file called HORSES intended for future use. That was back in the summer of 2015, nearly two years ago. Having never painted the actual Camargue horses before, it was their movement, gesticulation, and energy that resonated in me when I worked their likeness in my paintings, and kept me coming back for more. The landscape that dressed their backdrop was evocative of my favorite place in the world, Point Reyes. And all the while I painted, their story became my mantra, and the land they inhabited beckoned to me.
The Camargue horses became my flagship paintings from that Sonoma Collection. They were well received in every exhibit I showed at; I never sold more paintings than in 2016. I continued my research on these beautiful creatures and the region they come from, the Rhone river delta, in South France. The more I learned, the deeper my obsession became, the more I felt the need to experience their essence, their nature, their movement and herd mentality. Ever since my return from Sonoma, I have been painting the Camargue over and over again. Six months ago though, I decided that it was time to experience them for myself, to be in their setting, to breath their air, and wet my feet in the marshes they run in. I want the pictures I paint from to be my own, to derive from the experience I have with these animals. So I pulled the trigger.
I leave for Arles, and the Camargue in just over 3 weeks. I will be journaling my days in Facebook, so please follow me on https://www.facebook.com/IsabelleTruchonArt/
I want to photograph everything; to touch and feel the energy of the captivating herds through the salty marshes, the wild bulls, and pink flamingos in the neighboring Parc Ornithologique, other wildlife and migrating bird species, and the beautiful Rhone delta, where the salt and fresh water converge. I can’t wait to share it all with you!