SEMENTZEFF - AN EXTRAORDINARY FRENCH ARTISTE

This is a nostalgic revisit to the art of a French painter in whose son's home we serendipitously over-nighted. This is the third time that I have posted this because I enjoy the man's art so much and so do many art lovers. His is such a different style and subject matter from my own. This noted artist Michel Sementzeff has contacted me with appreciation for this exposure and I am grateful.

Michel Sementzeff is considered one of the greatest contemporary figurative artists. I could not believe my good fortune when I stayed in his son Didier’s guest home in 2009. Throughout the home were these exquisitely executed paintings. He paints landscapes and portraits that are colourful, playful, dreamlike, romantic and he does it using a knife to paint heavy oil passages that accent the creativity of his themes and style. While this genre is not my customary choice, it was irresistable. It is so good. Didier presented me with a book of his father’s paintings which I treasure. That’s as close as I will get to owning one of Sementzeff’s expensive originals.

Of Russian origin, Michel Sementzeff was born in Boulogne-sur-Seine. He entered the École Supérieure des Arts Modernes at the age of 15, and has subsequently forged a highly successful career as an artist, exhibiting in France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, United States and Canada. With his well chosen palette of colours, his light strokes as well as his heavy impasto touches he emits light and happiness and nostalgia. He has chosen to paint faces that always reflect a childish innocence and surprise and anticipation.

His son Didier, the retired professional photographer that I mentioned yesterday, captures his father’s images so clearly to make every book of art a masterpiece collector’s cache.

I am enamoured by Michel's success and jealous of his signature. Michel's work makes the viewer happy.

Here is Michel's website. The best site for viewing the quality and luminosity and brush strokes is Galerie Internationale