ELIORA BOUSQUET'S COLLECTIONS OF PAINTINGS

I have painted more than a thousand abstract paintings, divided into nine thematic collections. Discover the history and genesis of each collection here!

NB: The series displayed in each collection are not chronological. I numbered them for simple reasons of visual coherence, in order to group paintings with the same inspiration, movement or colorimetry.

COLLECTION EVANESCENCE

'Let us dream of evanescence and abandon ourselves to the crazy beauty of things.'
Okakura Kakuzo

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Evanescence on an art gallery wall

14 series of artworks
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A summary:

My collection 'Evanescence' is made up of fourteen series of paintings on the theme of the wind, in its spirittual sense, which we know 'blows where it wants'. The very frequent vertical movements symbolize the need to free oneself from weightlessness, from matter, to access more spirituality. My collection 'Evanescence' is a romantic ode to life, in its poetical sense: a life which is all the more beautiful for being ephemeral.

The story behind :

Isn't it peculiar how the imagery of air and breath accompanies us throughout our lives - just as we are given 'the breath of life' when we come into the world, we give out our 'final breath' when time has come for us to depart this earth. What if our lives were as ethereal as air, our fragile existence but a light touch on the canvas of the world, condemned ultimately to oblivion ? Air and the lightness and freedom of the wind are the inspiration behind this collection, which celebrates impermanence and the fragile beauty of a but ephemeral life, hence its title 'Evanescence'.

Although I have used matter and texture to create volume throughout this collection, I have deliberately done so in soft and light touches, as if I had been using watercolour, to let emotion and light shine through. My brush strokes also recall the curves of an ECG, their constant and rapid movement to and fro, linking the top and bottom of each painting. As it is in life, where we have highs and lows, harmony can and must be born of the union of opposites.

In this collection, everything I paint appears to reach for the sky. In each painting there is a movement upwards, a desire to escape gravity. In my art as in my life, I am permanently torn between my dream of an ethereal life and aspiration to infinity, and my real life, with my feet firmly on the ground, and subject to all the limitations of reality. Painting is my way of bridging these two lives, both equally precious to me, despite their contradictions.

There are also numerous references to reflections on water, and water as a mirror in this collection, inspired by Alphonse de Lamartine's poem 'Le Lac' (The Lake) : 'Constantly pushed toward new coasts like this, swept away into eternal night without return on the ocean of the ages - can we never cast anchor for a single day ? (…) O time, suspend your flight ! And you, happy hours, suspend your race : let us savor the fleet delights of our fairest days ! Let us love then, let us love ! Let us revel in the flying hour - Hurry ! Man has no harbour, Time has no shore; it flows, and we pass !'

I imagine this lake guiding us between its shores fringed with reeds, thoughtful, fragile and yet so resilient, those of whom Jean de La Fontaine said that whilst they do bend, they never break ! Stylised reeds reminiscent of long bird feathers are present as a signature in almost all of my paintings in this symbolic collection...

'Evanescence' raises existential issues and is therefore quintessentially a romantic collection, in the literary meaning of the word. There is however no place for despair here – the streaks of colour which convey the impression of a vanishing dream are neither tears nor the sign of a bleeding heart… On the contrary, I have used all the colours of the rainbow to sing this high and clear : 'Carpe Diem ! Enjoy today for all it has to offer, for time goes by and life soon runs its course'.

COLLECTION SEA-MULATIONS

Free man, forever shall you cherish the sea!
The sea is your mirror;
you behold your soul In the endless unfolding of its waves,
And your spirit is no less bitter a chasm.

Charles Baudelaire, Man and the Sea

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Sea-Mulations on an art gallery wall

5 series of artworks
Imagine Eliora Bousquet's paintings at your home Watch Eliora Bousquet's collection Sea-Mulations in video Visit Eliora Bousquet's collection Sea-Mulations online shop

A summary:

Mycollection  'Sea-Mulations' gathers five series of paintings. In this collection, the sea represents the existence we all have to cross, sometimes without seeing the horizon, often against winds and tides. 

The story behind:

My collection "Sea-Mulations" painted in acrylic on canvas, is based on the movement's work. It is dedicated to the sea, symbol of our inherently ephemeral life, but also to new beginnings, to the quest for freedom; life being like a journey, filled with challenges, experiences, and adventures, much like crossing the sea.

I have always been fascinated – I mean both drawn to and frightened by- the oceans, sometimes calm and soothing, symbols of hope when a dawn illuminates the horizon or a sunset seems to embrace the waves, sometimes tumultuous, assaulted by surging and indomitable waves that trap us in life's storms... But whether soothing or frightening, bathed in gentle waves or beaten by roaring waves, the oceans always represent the unknown, the mystery, like the unfathomable one that is existence.

That is why I readily associate the sea with life, with its ups and downs, its disturbing yet essential tides, as so many trials to overcome. It is also why I associate the human being with a sailboat, propelled by the winds, seeking a direction and meaning to give to their life, a beacon to guide them through the darkness, a light on the horizon, an island where they can (re)pose, a shelter on solid ground far from the choppy waters.

Thus, my collection " Sea-Mulations" though abstract, pays a tribute to boats, often sailing solo, sometimes in tandem (symbolizing shared love), sometimes in regattas (symbolizing relationships with others). It also refers to islands, especially those from Celtic culture and legends, as they are then associated with the quest for paradise beyond, a common thread in all my collections...

"There are three kinds of men:
the living, the dead, and those who go to sea."

Apocryphal Aristotle

In his poem "The Drunken Boat," Arthur Rimbaud makes this latter dance between earth and sky, between hell and paradise. The sea is this space between heaven and earth, between Paradise and hell, the space of all freedoms, a world of possibilities, filled with opportunities and dangers, marking new beginnings full of promises towards new horizons, as well as shipwrecks...

To take to the sea is thus - to my eyes - to accept the challenges and trials of existence, to overcome all storms before reaching a safe harbor. Wisdom, spirituality, humility, resilience, awareness of our smallness in the face of the forces of nature and the omnipotence of the elements, are our lifebuoys allowing us to survive the tidal waves and other tsunamis that sweep our lives without warning, as so many obstacles and difficulties to overcome daily.

In my collection, the sailboats navigate the waves of life in search of an unknown island, their traveler's soul suspended, desperately seeking an eternal anchor port amidst infinite spaces. This mysterious island lies to the North of the world, perhaps in Hyperborea; perhaps it harbors the Garden of Eden, the lost paradise that everyone hopes to rediscover one day... This island is our destiny. Are you ready to embark?

COLLECTION POETIC FICTIONS

'Lightness of a bird that does not need to sing to own the forest - not even one tree.'
Christian Bobin

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Poetic Fictions on an art gallery wall

5 series of artworks
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A summary:

My collection "Poetic Fictions" is imbued with a thirst for freedom. Comprising of five series of paintings, it depicts stylized seascapes, birds, and sailboats, seeking with poetry and lightness to escape the confines of a certain reality.

The story behind:

If my colors were words... I would write them with a quill! My collection of abstract works, "Poetic Fictions," is inspired by my most cherished concept: "freedom". Hence the frequent references to birds, boats (especially sailboats), as well as brush strokes that seem to dance on the canvas, seeking to take flight and break free from gravity.

Because my work as an artist is based on this yearning for freedom and the pursuit of harmony, the colors I use and combine all have a particular significance.

My paintings always carry a strong symbolic value, which can be discovered either by looking at the painting or deciphering its title.

Why does this collection speak of "poetic fictions?" To me, true poetry resides in the eye and heart of the beholder. Like imagination, it is the ability to feel and see beyond things.

COLLECTION CHROMATIC FANTASIAE

'You have to see abstract painting as you listen to music, feel the emotional interiority of the work without looking for an identification with any figurative representation. What is important, therefore, is not to see the abstract, is to feel it.'
Gerard Schneider

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Chromatic Fantasiae on an art gallery wall

7 series of artworks
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A summary:

My collection 'Chromatic Fantasiae' gathers seven series of paintings. It is inspired by the creativity and choppy rhythm of jazz music. I usaually compare this collection to a musical score where colors, like notes, swing on the canvas. On this score, each color has its place and, combined with other colors, a particular role to play in creating harmony.

The story behind:

To me, painting is its own language that finds its form in the musicality of things, imposing its own rhythm, its own movement, chaining themes in cadence until reaching a certain harmony. Perhaps that's why the title of my collection nods to Jean-Sébastien Bach's 'Chromatic Fantasiae'… After all, can one put a flat note on comparing painting to music, when both can only exist through the use of a 'range of tones' harmoniously orchestrated? Moreover, don't we talk about 'lyrical' abstract art?

However, if my paintings could emit sounds, their music would have a more 'jazz' than classical side: it would be inventive, totally improvised around themes, largely instinctive though mastered, both soft, provocative, and unpredictable. They would also carry messages; a rather complex music, in short, although simple in appearance… because when one believes to see an image, guess a symbol, understand the meaning of the painting, it is turned, and there… other images appear; one never knows which themes will follow until the end of the melody, nor which color to assign to the played piece.

For colors to sound good together, they must vibrate, they must 'swing' on the canvas, like so many notes that land, chain, and agree on the score of life. If my painting mixes color with gesture in a 'raw', almost instinctive way, it is because it aims to be lively enough for all the senses to be in tune...

COLLECTION NATURESSENCES

'The artist must not copy nature but take the elements of nature and create a new item.'
Paul Gauguin

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Naturessences on an art gallery wall

5 series of artworks
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A summary:

Matter is life itself. That is why my collection 'Naturessences' gathering five series of artworks prominently features thick, knife-worked layers of color. Stylized nature is omnipresent in these paintings, as it represents the mother of all things and the essence of life, giving the collection its name: 'Naturessences.'

The story behind:

As a passionate admirer of romantic poetry, particularly that of French poets such as Alphonse de Lamartine and Victor Hugo, as well as British poets such as William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Keats, and Walt Whitman, I have designed my 'Naturessences' collection as an ode to nature and its essence, both spiritual and rooted in tangible reality, hence the name combining the words 'nature' and 'essences.'

For romantic poets, nature, an omnipresent theme, is the means by which the Creator of all things manifests its magnificence. It embodies the perfection of its creation. Like the 'Garden of Eden', it is an idyllic, timeless place filled with serenity. It is a place of contemplation where one can dream, meditate, and reflect on the meaning of life, including man's place in the universe. In this place of contemplation, the materialism of the modern world, with its over-connection and lack of time for the sacred moments of silence, has no place.

Rhythmic with the four seasons, with spring being my favorite, this nature sings Life with a capital 'L'. For when one contemplates nature, one inevitably arrives at Truth. Thus, nature is also a Way, THE WAY. This nature is sacred.

To highlight this notion of life, I have painted each of my paintings with thick, knifed-on layers of paint, rather than using a brush, as in my other collections. However, despite this thick, structured material, the movements are dynamic and light, for life is never static.

A unifying theme between 'NATURESSENCES' and my other collections is the Wind, as a 'breath'. This creative breath that shapes landscapes, bends reeds without breaking them, and inspires poets to seek the secret meaning of things and bring it to light.

Through painting, through the magical medium of art, I hope once again to demonstrate the power and supremacy of Emotion over Reason. For, as French Writer Vauvenargues wrote, 'Reason deceives us more often than nature.'

COLLECTION RENAISSANCE

'To see a World in a Grain of Sand and a Heaven in a Wild Flower. Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and Eternity in an hour.'
William Blake

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Renaissance on an art gallery wall

5 series of artworks
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A summary:

According to George Braque, 'emotion does not add, nor does it initiate: it is the seed, and the work is the blooming'. Creation = Blossoming. A theme that frequently appears in my work is the quest for the lost paradise, a paradise of abstract flowers populated by birds. My semi-figurative collection 'Renaissance' represents an idealized Eden. In this garden located between two seas (the one above and the one below, following the separation described in Genesis), flowers mix with marine corals to create an eternal spring filled with hope: that of a new beginning, a rebirth. The collection gathers five series of paintings.

The story behind:

Life is like a wildflower that lives only two of our four seasons. It blooms in spring, a magical moment of grace, to flourish, hardy, under the sun of Amon. Then it wilts, withers, on a brown autumn day... And nothing replaces it when winter has come.

In this land of ice, of confused memories that no sun embraces, hope seems lost. Unless a rainbow comes to light up the space and draw again the alliance of the Beginning... the one made to Noah, somewhere near a mountain, a sign of renewal.

Life is a flower, lighter than a feather; I call it 'Happiness' for it does not last. It is a fragile flower, living far from the asphalt, whose stem is cut, but does not complain: if its stem is cut, its green bird wings are only offered... for life is a gift!

In the autumn of my life, I still dream of an eternal spring where hope would bloom, a pledge of blue tomorrows. 'Renaissance' is the name I chose for this collection, as a nod to my favorite period of history, because it is marked by creativity and renewal. It represents both the lost paradise and the Promised Land, the Elysian fields, the gardens of Arcadia... the rediscovered Eden, a place of all possibilities!

Each painting invites the viewer to daydream in a fairy garden bathed in iridescent light. In this garden, there is a rule: take care of each moment like a fragile flower, as happiness is made of only ephemeral moments put into bunches...

In the manner of Pierre de Ronsard, I invite you, through this collection, to stop, for a moment, the frenzied race of Time and relive your most beautiful spring days: 'Live, if you believe me, do not wait for tomorrow: Gather today the roses of life.' (*)

Carpe Diem!

(*) : Pierre de Ronsard, Sonnets for Helen

COLLECTION AQUALCHEMY

'A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.'
Paul Cezanne

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Aqualchemy on an art gallery wall

10 series of artworks
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A summary:

Painting has always attracted me due to the infinite variety of colors that can be created. These colors, powerfully evocative, provoke extraordinary emotions and sensations that unleash the imagination and, simply put, free the mind!

By mixing colors together, with water or other liquid or solid elements, sometimes unexpected results are achieved. The paint becomes uncontrollable, takes shape, and lives on its own, creating a form of magic, of alchemy, which is why this collection is named 'Aqualchemy'. The use of blown watercolor and liquid ink pays homage to two of my most beloved fundamental elements: air and water, which are at the source of this abstract and experimental collection, gathering 10 series of artworks.

The story behind:

In the delicate strokes of my abstract collection "Aqualchemy," rendered in ink upon canvas or Yupo paper, I summon forth the essence of both marine corals and star-strewn celestial landscapes, conjuring depths of abyss and distant, imagined galaxies.

The composition flows intentionally, a tribute to the elements "water" and "air," signifying that the universe, akin to these constituent elements, is in perpetual flux, impermanent, unreachable, yet eternal.

"Aqualchemy" is an invitation to explore the boundless universe surrounding us, hinting at an intimate, harmonious bond between the microcosm and the macrocosm, mere facets of the same gem. Indeed, in the infinitely minute and the infinitely vast, all is interconnected, from the smallest particles to the farthest reaches of the star-strewn cosmos. Beauty and perfection intertwine endlessly. In a drop of water or within a living cell, a world of ceaseless motion unfolds, myriad processes birthing an ecosystem of staggering richness. And amidst the vast expanse of space and starlit sky, one may chance upon enchanting galaxies and dream of parallel universes, where beauty's magnitude inspires wonderment, and the unknown's vastness may sometimes evoke fear.

The microcosm and the macrocosm, entwined in their complexity, create a delicate equilibrium, an infinite dance where each element is indispensable, where life and beauty permeate every level.

"Aqualchemy", a portmanteau word of "Aqua" (evoking the liquid ink) and "Alchemy" (symbolizing the magic unfurling as ink diffuses and blends serendipitously with other hues), comprises a collection of ephemeral works, mirroring our existence. The ink glides swiftly across the paper, as if never finding a moment to settle, a metaphor for life's rapid passage, sometimes leaving us little time to truly live, forever chasing something new.

Through the paintings of this collection, I aim to convey a message to viewers, a conviction, a profound belief: the existence of a perfect plan in the universe, where all is connected through movements, colors, and symbols, much like in Charles Baudelaire's romantic poem "Correspondences."

I urge you to contemplate the beauty of our universe and to reconnect with it, for we are all integral parts of this harmonious ensemble: each of us unique, with a vital role to play in this perfect order!

While the pictorial technique may differ, the paintings of my "Aqualchemy" collection symbolically merge with those of my "Celestial Visions" and "Cosmose" collections: they serve as an ode to life and universal harmony, a poetic tribute to the creative power of our world, an invitation to marvel at the beauty surrounding us, often overlooked amidst the chaos of daily life.

"Aqualchemy" embodies a wondrous ecosystem, where sky and ocean converge, where multicolored corals vie with nebulae and constellations in splendor. It beckons you to momentarily forget our world of mere "surfaces", to dive a little deeper, soar a little higher, until you find your place as a precious link in an infinite chain...

COLLECTION COSMOSIS

'Art is the way to feel, to love and to interpret the heartbeat of the universe.'
Roch Carrier

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Cosmosis on an art gallery wall

12 series of artworks
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A summary:

My collection 'Cosmosis', created with fluid acrylic on canvas (pouring technique), is an ode to the beauty of our universe and a tribute to its Creator. This abstract collection, whose title 'Cosmosis' evokes the harmony (osmosis) of different elements in the Cosmos, is composed of imaginary celestial landscapes. It consists of twelve series of paintings.

The story behind:

In the boundless expanse of the cosmos, where galaxies sway in an eternal celestial ballet, a new constellation of creativity emerges. Under the evocative name of 'Cosmosis' (a portmanteau word blending 'Cosmos' and 'Osmosis'), my abstract collection of paintings executed through the fluid acrylic pouring technique on canvas embodies the intimate union between the diverse elements of our universe (galaxies, constellations, stars, and more).

Each canvas is an invitation to delve into the profound abstraction of the universe, to explore its infinite mysteries, and to feel the very essence of its beauty.

Amidst a whirlwind of electric turquoise blues, deep petrol blues, soothing shades of green, and mysterious, entrancing violets, the canvases capture the vibrant energy of imaginary stars, shimmering nebulae, and enchanting galaxies. Yellow cadmium and carmine red punctuate this celestial symphony, imparting a touch of warmth to the cold expanse of infinite space. Every color, every hue, every stroke is an ode to the creative power that has shaped our universe.

With each brushstroke, I humbly endeavor to celebrate the grandeur of the cosmos, offering a unique and personal vision of its infinite splendor. For in my eyes, the Sky, in every sense of the word, is the most beautiful work of art in the world. A living masterpiece, so perfect that it cannot be replicated. Thus, my goal is to present mere representations of imaginary celestial landscapes: the cosmos as I envision it, ever evolving in its eternal magnificence.

Thus, 'Cosmosis' is much more than a mere artistic collection; it is a resplendent celebration of the timeless beauty of the Sky, an offering to the majesty of the Almighty Creator of our universe.

Through my canvases, I invite you, dear spectators, on a poetic journey transcending the bounds of imagination. I invite you to marvel at the magic of the cosmos, where every color, in harmony with others, finds its place in the eternal symphony of the universe.

COLLECTION CELESTIAL VISIONS

'It’s when there is something above life that life becomes beautiful.'
Jean d’Ormesson

A few paintings from Eliora Bousquet's collection Celestial Visions on an art gallery wall

5 series of artworks
Imagine Eliora Bousquet's paintings at your home Watch Eliora Bousquet's collection Celestial Visions in video Visit Eliora Bousquet's collection Celestial Visions online shop

A summary:

My collection "Celestial Visions" was inspired by my passion for the sky, stars, and the universe's perfect beauty and mystery. It represents the afterlife as I imagine and often dream it: a timeless space where beauty rhymes with eternity, leaving room for imagination, the mother of inspiration and creativity. This collection gathers five series of paintings.

The story behind:

When I was a child, on summer evenings, my parents, my brother, and I would sit on the bench in the garden and look up at the starry sky while my father played the guitar. I was only seven years old, and I was amazed and completely captivated by this magical nighttime spectacle.

I remember asking my father, who has now joined those wonderful stars in the sky:

- 'Daddy, are these stars far away?'
- 'Oh, yes! Very, very far away! They are in infinite space!'
- 'Daddy, what's infinity?'
- 'Infinity? ...Well... when you get there, it's still a little further away!'

I think since that day, I have never stopped wanting to get closer to the sky. As I do not have the means to do so on this limited earthly plane, I spend my time imagining it and reproducing, on canvases as white as the night is black, with dozens of iridescent, bright, or muted colors, all the landscapes I see in my dreams, hence the title of my collection: 'Celestial Visions'.

Apart from my readings of works dedicated to the cosmos, of which I am passionate, I found the inspiration for this collection of abstract atmospheric paintings in French and English Romantic poetry from the second half of the 19th century (Alphonse de Lamartine, Charles Baudelaire, Théodore de Banville, Paul Verlaine, Victor Hugo, William Wordsworth, John Keats, William Blake, Percy Bysshe Shelley, etc.). I particularly like this poetic genre for the vibrant tribute paid to the beauty of nature and the simplicity of things, for its musicality, for the heightened emotions with which it is imbued, often halfway between hope and despair, for the existential questions it raises through its extended metaphors, chiaroscuro, and surrealistic images.

My "Celestial Visions" collection speaks of the sky as I imagine it, without ever reproducing existing landscapes. I love this sky because it belongs to everyone, although no one is its master. It is an eternal space of truly divine beauty, made of perfection and harmony, inaccessible but a permanent source of inspiration; a space between yesterday and tomorrow, where freedom takes its essence and imagination takes flight...

In this respect, I dedicate my "Celestial Visions" to all those who have retained their childlike soul and know how to marvel, even in the winter of their age. We live, every day, at the heart of the most beautiful work of art there is; a work of such value that it has no price... Take some time to admire it, and please protect it!

DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS

Discover my collections of paintings 24/7 by visiting free digital exhibitions on my SPATIAL.IO page Art_Eliora_BousquetVisuel présentant la galerie d'expositions de peintures virtuelles d'Eliora Bousquet

TESTIMONIALS


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