The Art Marketer

ACES MAGAZINE

The Art Marketer

is Delighted

to be collaborating with

Aces Magazine

on numerous projects.

Check out their feature story on 

The Art Marketer

and my story on Cover Artist

Ted Asnis

in their August issue! (pages 6 & 7)!

 

Thank-you Amy Oliver!

 

An Artist Meets her Muse

"They call me Mme. Monet in jest, but they are right.   I feel as if I have inherited the soul of Monet.

I had been painting a long while before I spent that decisive summer in Monet’s garden.    That was when Monet spoke to me.   I think his spirit was always with me, but that is where he made himself known to me.  And it was an epiphany.  My paintings took on a new life.

I walked on his Japanese bridge and painted on his Japanese bridge and then, I went beyond it.  I have always liked impressionism, but now it has become part of me.  It is an expression of my soul.  Late Monet carried forward with my emotional brushwork and my heart.

This presence is always with me.  I love color.  I see color everywhere.  I am drawn to a specific spot for some indefinable reason.  I set up my canvas and paints.  And look and look and look.  Something catches my eye.  I load up my palette.  Pick up a brush, holding it as a conductor would hold his baton, and begin.

At that point, I don’t speak to the canvas; instead the canvas speaks to me.  Whose voice is that telling me what to put where?  Has Monet’s psyche merged with mine?   My feet are barefoot feeling the grass; I smell the flowers in front of me.  I am transported.  I paint but lose the concept of time.  Fast, faster, passionately painting, furiously painting.  I cannot get the colors down fast enough.   Then suddenly I need air.   I stop and stand back.  The séance is over.  I have returned to the present.  I think Monet is looking down from above, smiling."                 -Susan Marx

 

Susan Marx wrote this passage on a painting trip to Giverny. Her first experience there was so transformational for her, she has returned several times since, each time being more transformational than the next.

Her most recent trip this past May was perhaps her most inspirational and prolific.. affecting her in ways mere words cannot express. She painted on Monet's bridge, but her work traveled beyond it.

On her first trips, Susan used a smaller format for her work. This time, her canvases are larger, 30" x 24", so the forms have more room to move and her brush is larger. She paints in acrylics, so that she can paint color against color quickly, not needing to wait for the paint to dry.

So it is through her words, photographs and her paintings, we will try to relay that experience for her.

 

 

    

 

As told by Susan Marx about her recent trip to France:

We were a group of 7 painters (plus some non painter spouses).  Caroline Nuckholls is the Owner/Director of Art Colony Giverny. She is a painter who arranged the group (and gave instruction to those who wanted; I, of course, did not take instruction and did my own thing.  I met her before when I painted in Giverny in 2008. Caroline arranged with the Monet Foundation, for the privilege of letting her artists paint in Monet's Garden before the tourists go in at 8:30am, when the gardeners work, and after the tourists leave at 5pm, every day except Saturday and Sunday.  The Garden is open 7 days a week.  And there are many tourists, individuals and busloads from all over the world.  On a nice day, it is wall-to-wall people enjoying Monet's garden and water lily pond. The experience of painting in the garden with no one around, except for a few gardeners, is unbelievable.  It is quiet, except for a cuckoo bird and frogs.  Time to see the garden and nature in all its glory; time to commune with Monet directly.  I often chose to paint from the Japanese bridge, where Monet also painted.  Looking at the lily pond, I can place most of his paintings that I am so familiar with.  Yes, there really are some red water lilies near the reflection of the willow tree.

One of the greatest compliments ever paid to me was by one of the gardeners (who see many painters painting here).  He said "The Garden of Monsieur Monet, painted in the style of Susan."                                                   

It was difficult to choose where to put my easel.  There were paintings to be painted everywhere I looked.  Most often I chose to either paint the bridge (which is now emerald green, but which was white in most of Monet's paintings).  Or the view of the pond and the reflection of the plants and trees, topped by water lilies.   

What excites me most visually about this place is that you see three perspectives at the same time: the view across the pond from side to side; the view of the pond into the distance; PLUS the view up and down, with reflections into the water. 

Just as Monet eliminated the horizon line, I did the same in my paintings of the pond to concentrate on the relation of one shape to another.  And when I was on the bridge, which to my great luck had wisteria in bloom, I felt as if I was almost communicating with him.  At least, I was seeing what he did, but painting with my own eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Monet's Pond

 

During the day we painted in other spots in Giverny and in the town of Vetheuil, where Monet lived before he moved to Giverny.  In Vetheuil, we went to see the house where Monet lived, and above it, the house with the turret, in which the painter Joan Mitchell (my other 'muse'), a second generation American Abstract Expressionist lived... years later. Then we crossed the river in a boat to paint the view of Vetheuil from Lavacourt. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom left, the view of the Vetheuil from Lavacourt.

Right, Susan's painting: 'Vetheuil from Lavacourt', acrylic on canvas painting by Susan Marx.

 

On Saturday we went to the colorful weekly market in the nearby city of Vernon.

We visited Les Andelys, but, it was raining, so we could not paint.  A very picturesque city with huge limestone cliffs.  I have painted there before when I was on prior painting trips to Giverny in 2006 and 2008.  I look at the paintings I painted then, and the work I painted this year and I am amazed at how I have grown as a painter. 

More color, freer brushwork, stronger design...

 

On those trips, it was not possible to walk the Seine, as Monet used to do in the very early morning hours, to see the islands with their reflection in the river. But this time, I was able to walk to the Seine to see where he worked. You can see what he took from nature and what he decided not to take and what he decided to add from his own mind. Plus, we were able to sail on a replica of Monet's boat, from which he dropped anchor and painted.

With a guidebook in hand that marked where Monet painted his paintings, I walked to the spot where poplars in "Bend in the Epte" was painted.

 

 

 

We stayed in a very picturesque old moulin (mill) that was converted into a quaint and beautiful B&B.

One could reach the Seine in a ten minute walk from their backyard. It was not possible to get there in 2006 or 2008 because the fields and the road to get to the Seine were private property. They now belong to the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More musings:

It is my belief that Monet built the Japanese bridge so that he could paint from the bridge. At least, in my opinion. It is the one spot where one can see the entire garden  as in his famous Water Lilies paintings.  That is why I painted from the bridge whenever I could. (sometimes other painters got there first).  This pond is long (like a kidney bean)  One gets the best view from the bridge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joan Mitchell (Susan's other 'muse'), purchased the house on top of the hill with the pointed roof years after Monet lived there. 

  

 

 

ABOUT SUSAN MARX

Why am I a plein air painter?  I think I have always been attracted to the light, the color, and the air outside. When I paint outside, the painting, the process and the result are more intense.

I always knew I wanted to be a painter. I have been painting since I was four. And I was always drawn to painting outside. I studied painting at Boston University where I received a BFA in painting, and when we had still life arrangements set up to paint in the studio, I would often turn my easel to the window to paint the Charles River instead.

I first attended a seminar in France in 2006, ‘Art Study Giverny', led by the late artist, Gale Bennett, where we painted in Monet’s Garden on Mondays when the garden was open to gardeners and painters and on other days of the week after the tourists left at 5 pm. During the day we painted in other places in town and in other neighboring cities in Normandy where Monet had painted. That experience was a changing point in my artistic career. I feel like I inherited part of Monet’s soul! And I have returned to spend time in Monet's garden several times since.

There is something about standing barefoot on the grass looking at and smelling what is in front of you. I often joke that the inspiration starts from my feet and then works itself up to my brain. I smell the colors of nature before I paint them. The act of painting is experiential, and I want to convey the emotions I experience while being out of doors, seeing the light and color and smelling the air on the finished canvas.

My art comes from my radical amazement at the visual world around me, and my need to turn that visual experience into paint. Nature is my starting point, but not my end result.

I observe nature very carefully and respond spontaneously to what I see and feel. I think of painting as drawing in color, relating warm colors and cool colors with each expressive paint-filled brushstroke. It’s my personal handwriting.

I call myself a modern Abstract Impressionist. I paint outside, en plein air, which lets me truly experience and feel the landscape I am painting. Working with acrylics allows me to record my color impressions quickly, with immediacy. I am abstract in that my goal is not to reproduce what is in front of me, but to turn nature into something of my own: my vision, my paint-filled brushstrokes, my emotions. I don’t paint flowers to paint flowers. I paint flowers to paint color.  

 The Japanese Bridge with Wisteria

  Water Lilies

 

 

 

Giverny Album in Shutterfly

 Susan Marx Artist Website

Susan Marx Artist on Facebook

Susan Marx on The Art Marketer

Contact: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

Timbered Houses in Rouen

 

 

Having returned from Giverny, the trip's influence continues to resonate through each of her current paintings.

Susan is represented by Agora Gallery and Ashok Jain Gallery in NYC and by Veranda Fine Art Gallery in Fair Haven, NJ.

For more information, or to purchase her work, call or visit any of her galleries:

AGORA GALLERY 530 West 25th Street, NYCHours: 11am-6pm Tuesday-Saturday; 212.226.4151

Susan Marx at Agora Gallery

ASHOK JAIN GALLERY 58 Hester Street, NYCHours: Wed-Sun: 12-6pm or by appointment. 212.969.9660

Susan Marx at Ashok Jain Gallery                                                               

The Veranda Fine Art Gallery

763 River Rd., Fair Haven, NJ 07704

732.933.4747

 

 

 

 

Both Agora Gallery and Ashok Jain Gallery have Marx's paintings listed for sale on Amazon.com.

Marx's paintings may also be purchased through her listings on Agora's gallery website: Susan Marx on ArtMine.

Susan Marx will be in a show at Agora Gallery entitled Divergent Realities

Exhibition Dates: October 9 - October 29, 2015

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 15, 2015, 6-8pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________

Credits: photographs by Susan Marx.

Painting  Above Left: Flowers in Blue, 30" x 24", acrylic on canvas

Bottom Left: Floral Abstract, 30" x 24" , acrylic on canvas

 

 

 

OMBIASY PUBLIC RELATIONS AND WINE TOURS

 

 

Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours

Serves up a Couples Life Long Passion for Wine

Conceived, created, owned and operated by the venerable husband and wife team, Annette & Christian Schiller, Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours represents the lifelong passion the Schillers have for wine. Their business is founded on the passion, knowledge and network of contacts they have made throughout their travels around the world, an interest that started for them both while students at the University of Mainz in Germany.

 

 

EARLY BEGINNINGS:

The Seeds are Planted

Annette Schiller first became intrigued with wine back in her days as a student at the University of Mainz. Mainz is one of the 10 Wine Capitals of the World and Annette quickly realized that in this city, wine is ubiquitous. Students crank wine spritzers; the university offered classes in wine with accompanying tastings; and every other week there was a wine festival downtown. It was here also, that Annette met her husband, Christian, and their shared passion for wine soon became a keystone of their life together.

The Schillers were curious about all aspects of wine and wine-making. They took evening wine classes, worked in the vineyards during harvest season, and spent their weekends exploring the thousands of wineries in the surrounding countryside, tasting great wines right at the source. The Schillers immersed themselves in learning every aspect of the winemaking process from understanding how the outcome of the combination of nature and production techniques play a significant role in the taste, smells and flavour of each variety; to learning the different grape varietals, terroir and soils, as well as the production aspects in the vineyard, not to mention the vinification processes. But, they didn’t end their education with those details. They also learned the role wine has played in history and politics, and, of course, its inherent links to the culinary arts.

They were hooked!

 

NURTURING THOSE EARLY SEEDS OF INTEREST:

The Schillers lived in Germany and France for extended periods of time travelling the regions, tasting the wines, developing close friendships with wine estate owners as they continued to indulge in the passion of learning, immersing, exploring and tasting wine from all over the world. What started out as a passion quickly became a lifestyle and is now a vocation.

 

A BUSINESS IS BORN

After thirty-five years of their own travels, friends of the Schillers from their student wine days asked them to organize a tour of Bordeaux. And so a new chapter in their adventures began in 2011 with their first Bordeaux wine tour for the Hochheimer Wine Brotherhood. The tour proved to be such a success that the business grew to include other tours throughout Germany and France.

 

 

THE BUSINESS TODAY

These days, Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours offers a growing number of tours, tasting, wine-pairings dinners and wine talks both in the United States and abroad. 

 

Following is just a sampling of current offerings provided by Ombiasy: 

 

• Expert, all-inclusive tours to wine regions in France and Germany. In Germany Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours are the pioneers of the concept to visit all 13 German wine regions with international wine friends.

• Custom tailored tours to wine regions in France, Germany, and other wine regions around the world.

• Planning and implementation of wine pairing dinners in the Washington DC area and Germany for wineries / châteaux.

• Educational presentations on the wines of France and Germany (with and without accompanying tastings).

• Conceptualization and organization of promotional events for the food and beverage industry.

 

 

Ombiasy Wine Tours have the benefit of offering tours in areas the Schillers know best, in countries where they lived, and like the first wine tour they arranged for their friends, the Schillers plan each tour designed around sharing their passion, their network within the wine community, and their in-depth knowledge of the wine regions they know best and feel most at home with their fellow participants throughout France and Germany. Specific tours have also combined their love of wine with their love of food, art and theatre, depending on the area they are visiting.

 

 

WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH OMBIASY PR:

• Guidance and instruction throughout the trip by Annette and Christian Schiller, a husband and wife team. The Schillers are both wine enthusiasts, seasoned wine tasters and wine educators, and know the wine regions in France and Germany like the back of their hands - they lived there for many years! They are fluent in English, German, and French, and are experienced travellers. When you do a tour with Ombiasy Wine Tours you never get a paid guide, you always travel with the Schillers.
• Ombiasy always travels in a small group to make the experience more like traveling with friends, and to get a better and more intimate look at the behind the scenes of the wineries / châteaux.
• Travel in the wine regions by luxury air-conditioned motor coach.
• Accommodation in 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star hotels depending on availability in the regions, including breakfast buffets. Wine regions in Europe are for the most part pretty rural and the availability of standard international hotel chains is very limited. Where international hotels are not available, Ombiasy always choose charming, family-run boutique hotels, typical of the region. Very often those hotels are in historic buildings, where strict building codes apply that make any standardization impossible. All hotels are categorized by the government and the amenities correspond to the star system. However in some of the smaller hotels room sizes vary, elevators are impossible to install, and internet connections are shaky.  
• Restaurants are as carefully chosen as the vineyards and range from gourmet restaurants to local cafes typical to the region. Guests get as much a feel for regional specialities as they do for the area’s wines.
• Ombiasy wine tours include wine pairing lunches and dinners right at the wineries / châteaux with the owners or winemakers. You will enjoy gourmet and regional food, deliciously matched to the wines served which include older vintages. Dining as a private guest at a renowned winery or Bordeaux château is one of the ultimate experiences that you can have that is not usually open to the independent traveller.
• Access to wine estates normally not open to visitors.
• Expert wine tastings at top wine estates and châteaux as well as barrel tastings, vertikal tasting, etc. depending on availability.
• You will meet the owners and winemakers and are treated to private tastings with them. Since they are friends of the Schillers - you get the privileged access!
• Guided city tours and sightseeing tours of spectacular historical sites.
• You will receive a personal, authentic experience and total immersion in the particular wine region.
• The "INSIDE TRACK"!!

 

 

 

2015 TOURS

 

Germany East Introduction – Wine & Art:

Germany’s Undiscovered Wine Regions and World Renowned Art Centers: The Eastern Tour

10 day immersion in wine, culture the arts:  June 11, 2015 – June 20, 2015

This 10 day tour allows wine lovers and art aficionados to experience what the statement “wine is a form of art” entails. Participants will live the profound relationship between wine, music, dance and the visual arts by visiting Germany’s beautiful wine regions in the East and the cradle of German intellectual thinking. Visit 19 wineries, among them wineries that embody the wine and art approach; attend performances at the Gewandhaus Leipzig; Semperopera; and Stuttgart Ballet.

 

 

Germany South Introduction – Wine & Food:

Pinot Country and Michelin-Star Meals: The Southern Tour

 7 day immersion: August 30, 2015 – September 05, 2015

This 7 day tour takes participants to the southernmost German wine regions where you will experience the German red wine revolution, in particular gorgeous Pinot-Noirs. You will visit 16 wineries, among them Germany’s unconventional but exceptionally gifted winemakers. This tour has a strong culinary component reflecting this region’s historic affinity with good food, and its proximity to culinary Alsace in France across the Rhine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany North Introduction - Riesling Country

Quintessential German Rieslings and the Northern most Pinot Noir: The Northern Tour

 7 day immersion: September 06, 2015 – September 12, 2015

This 7 day tour lets participants explore the regions that are quintessential to understanding “Riesling”. You will visit 18 wineries and many cultural gems. The tour includes a cruise on the romantic Rhine River with its castle-and-vine ribboned banks; the Mosel valley with its dizzying steep vineyards; delving into 2000 years of history; and tasting first class wines at world-renowned wine estates.

 

 

Bordeaux 2015: Quintessential Bordeaux

10 day immersion: September 15, 2015 – September 24, 2015

Spend 10 days in Bordeaux! “Bordeaux” embodies more than just wine. In France the interplay of wine and food is very important and plays an integral part of the journey through the Bordeaux wine region. The tour focuses on top ranking classified Chateaux, but visits to unknown, excellent and very charming producers are also included. Drawing on the Schiller’s love and deep knowledge of the region as well as their personal ties to many of the players in the Bordeaux wine scene, you will visit many of the hidden gems that other tours pass by, but which are essential to understanding what Bordeaux is all about. This is a hands-on Bordeaux wine class on the ground.

 

 

Here's what some of their fans are saying about them:

"Thank you for setting up such a tremendous Bordeaux Wine tour. I cannot believe that you were able to get our small group of 13 people into the very special wineries …plus they really treated you (and us) as Royalty with the special tours, talks, and great meals. The places you selected spent much much time with us, like the 4 hour lunch and tasting of 15 of their wines. Annette, you did a great job of infusing history, meals, as well as the top selection of wines. You balanced costs with having us stay close to the places we were visiting.

We highly recommend your tour. On a scale of 1-10, your tour is a 15!"

Vicky and Bruce Ballantyne (Bordeaux Tour)

 

"In 2013 my wife and I joined Annette Schiller and her husband, Christian, for her Bordeaux wine tour and had a wonderful time. Annette's tours are top-notch, well organized and lots of fun. Annette is fluent in French, English, and German, her mother language. Our best experience? Our stay in the town of Saint-Emilion, and the City of Bordeaux, both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Saint-Emilion with its Romanesque churches and famous for its Merlot based wines. We very much enjoyed the excellent food and top wines from renowned wine makers.

We highly recommend this tour for wine lovers of French wines.

In 2016 we plan to join Annette again for another round of her terrific Bordeaux wine tour."

 Gisela and Ray Leon (Bordeaux Tour)

 

"I joined the German tours in both 2013 and 2014 as I love both Germany and German wines. As I knew that dry German white wines are becoming more available in the U.S., I wanted to learn more about these and the new VDP classification system. From the superb visits I learned so much about these topics and really appreciated the great "grand cru" German Rieslings. In addition, being a Red Burgundy lover, I was fascinated with the top Pinot producers on the Southern German trip in 2014, and found many which were as enthralling as top Burgundies. Annette's organization of the tours was excellent, and I look forward to the 2015 tours".    

Brian Thomas (Germany north and Germany south tours)

 

 "I am a wine lover who took the Bordeaux wine country tour in September 2013. I had always been intrigued by Bordeaux and wanted a structured approach to exploring the region. Annette and Christian Schiller were excellent guides: remarkably knowledgable about the wines, vineyards and winemakers; talented transmitters of information; very caring; fun to be with. I tasted a great variety of red and white wines and enjoyed amazing food.

I cannot say enough about this wine tour and recommend it highly." 

Stephen Kent (Bordeaux Tour)

 

" As a wine lover with a reasonable knowledge of German wine (I have been a member of the German Wine Society since 1986) I had always wanted to visit German wineries. In September 2014 I took the northern and southern German wine country tours led by Annette Schiller. Our small group visited a total of 36 wineries (many hidden gems bypassed by other tours) in 9 different regions. Annette is a lively speaker with a deep knowledge and love of German wines and culture. We also greatly benefited from her close personal ties to the winemakers and owners visited.

I have nothing but great memories of my German wine experience. Thank you Annette."

Stephen Kent (Germany north and Germany south tours)  

 

 

 

"I have traveled on many wine trips, often with highly qualified locals who know the wines of their region and the local producers very well. I would put Annette in the very top tier of wine travel organizers. She knows well and fully understands the regions and producers of Germany. Her trips were perfectly organized and carefully planned. While it was a high energy undertaking, the good news is no time is wasted and there is room made in the action-packed schedule for the occasional historically or culturally significant place. An added benefit is Annette's charming husband, Christian. A wine blogger and dedicated foodie, he added another fun dimension to the trip. Their driver is a great guy, and almost every participant was someone I would gladly travel with again. My advice is do these trips if you are serious about understanding German wines. "

Ellen Kirsh (Germany north and Germany south tours)

 

"Everything about the Bordeaux trip - the wineries, the wines, the meals, the travel arrangements -was great. This is all due to Annette Schiller’s extensive knowledge of, and contacts in, the region. One could not ask for a better guide to Bordeaux wine and culture. The group benefitted greatly from Annette’s relationships with many of the vintners. Annette and the vintners taught us much about the terroir and the all the steps in the process that makes these great wines, as well as the foods with which to enjoy them. Moreover, given differences among vinters over some of the steps in the process - e.g., hand vs machine picking, use of pesticides, etc. - the group experienced an on-going debate as we travelled from one winery to the next. The openness of the vintners to our questions further personalized the experience that stemmed from Annette’s meticulous preparation of the journey. We are grateful to have had this experience and highly recommend it to anyone with a love of wine, regardless of the extent of their knowledge."

Anne and John Parisi (Bordeaux Tour)

  

 

For more information please visit: www.ombiasypr.com

or email: [email protected].

Visit them on Facebook: Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours

 

 

 

About Dr. Christian G. E. Schiller

Christian Schiller lives in the greater Washington DC (US) and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) areas and writes about wine. He is a member of the FIJEV (International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers). Before starting to write about wine in 2009, Schiller was an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Click on the following link to read his blog:

Schiller-Wine Blog: http://schiller-wine.blogspot.de/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Wine Tasting & Art Exhibit

 

 

A road trip to Rockville, Maryland reunited me with my artist friend and client, Susan Levin.

 

On a recent flight back from Europe, Levin had the unique opportunity of meeting and befriending, Annette Schiller, a principal with Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours.

 

 

 

Susan put me in touch with Annette,

who had the brilliant idea of creating a

‘Wine Tasting & Art Exhibit’

showcasing Susan’s work in collaboration with a wine tasting event.

 

 

 

 

The ‘invitation only’ event took place in the privacy of Levin’s lovely home, studio and gallery space. Guests were asked to bring a bottle of Pinot (Gris or Noir). The stage was set for a perfect marriage of wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres and art in an elegant gallery setting overlooking the beautiful setting of Rockville, Maryland.

 

 

 

The event brought together wine lovers and art aficionados from all three of our guest lists, facilitating new friendships, collaborations and ideas for other upcoming events.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Bravo!

                                                                               

    

 ______________________________________

 

 

ART BY SUSAN LEVIN
As a painter and digital photographer, Susan Levin works hard to create pieces that evoke emotion and conversation. While her paintings and photographs are an expression of her moods, they are also an abstract interpretation of real life experiences. Levin interprets her dreams and often paints what she dreams. She embellishes her photos with the use of the computer.

Creating new work is a form of playing and designing what is often clearly before her eyes and sometimes what is simply perceived through the lens. It is that combination of being acutely aware and having the ability to clarify what is right before her that makes Levin passionate about art and love what she does.

 

For more information:  Susan Levin Art: artbysusanlevin.com

 

___________________

OMBIASY PR & WINE TOURS

 

photo (of Annette Schiller) courtesy of Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours

Wine: Annette Schiller

Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours offer:

• Expert, all-inclusive tours to wine regions in France and Germany. In Germany, Annette & Christian Schiller of Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours are the pioneers of the concept to visit all 13 German wine regions with international wine friends.

• Custom tailored tours to wine regions in France, Germany, and other wine regions around the world

• Planning and implementation of wine pairing dinners in the Washington DC area and Germany for wineries / châteaux.

• Educational presentations on the wines of France and Germany (with and without accompanying tastings).

• Conceptualization and organization of promotional events for the food and beverage industry.

Wine Tours in 2015
France: Bourgogne (May) and Bordeaux (September) Germany: Germany-East (June), Germany-South (September) and Germany-North (September)

For more information: Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours: https://ombiasypr.com/

 

 

 photo courtesy of Ombiasy PR & Wine Tours

ART by SUSAN LEVIN

Susan Levin (left) is one emerging artist to watch! Her Abstract Expressionist paintings dance before your eyes in vibrant color and playful movement, complementing each other and everything around them. Inspired by nature and life, Levin's paintings resonate with humor, authenticity and fun. Equally inspiring are the stories she tells behind each title, giving that much more insight into the influences behind each image. 

       Levin dabbled in art throughout her childhood, taking classes in painting, wood working and pottery. But, it wasn't until 2005 that an ephiphany hit her through the form of a dream.

    "In March of 2005, I had a very powerful dream. It was so powerful, that when I woke up, I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. It directed me to go to 'Plaza Art Store (it was very specific about which art store I should go to)' and  buy all the accroutrements that I needed to start painting, and that's what I did!"  -Susan Levin on YouTube          

            Levin has been painting up a storm ever since. She works hard to create pieces that evoke emotion and conversation. In 2011, Levin added digital photography to her creative repertoire. When she is not painting, she is taking photographs of the landscape, architecture and people around her. Her digital photographs are equally expressive, vibrant and as real as her paintings.

    "While my paintings and photographs are an expression of my moods, they are also an abstract interpretation of real life experiences. I interpret my dreams and often paint what I dream and I embellish my photos with the use of the computer."  

Levin's work has been widely exhibited in solo and group shows throughout galleries in Connecticut, Washington DC and Maryland, where she lives and works. Her art has been featured in several editions of the American Art Collector and the Washington Project for the Arts, as well as in online competitions and shows. 

This Summer, Levin's work will be part of an International Exhibition in NYC by see.me  entitled 'The Story of the Creative'. 

The public is invited to an opening reception for the show at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on 172 Norfolk Street, in Manhattan. To RSVP for the opening, please contact: [email protected]

 

        Levin's work may also be seen on her website, Art by Susan Levin and on Facebook. The artist continues to look for exciting new opportunities to showcase her work through galleries, corporations, public and private commissions.

 

For more information, or to arrange a personal showing of her work, please contact Susan through The Art Marketer, or directly through her own website.

 

When My Ship Comes In...

I can only hope it looks like this! 

 

The Normandie (pictured left) is one in a collection of six images capturing the beauty, eloquence, majesty and historical significance in each of the six main ships from The French Transit Line's History - Les Grands Paquebots! 

 

The exquisite Collection of Les Grands Paquebots were:

LA TOURAINE, 1891 - In 1886, a new ship was ordered from the shipyard of penhoet, 'La Touraine'. She was to be used for the New York run. On June 20, 1891, La Touraine left Le Havre for New York on her maiden voyage. She arrived on the 27th, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 7 days, 4 hours, a performance that was improved on with subsequent trips. This accomplishment took The Atlantic Blue Ribbon, a symbol of the fastest speed on the North Atlantic, away from the English fleet.

FRANCE, 1912 - Intended to replace 'Ile de France' and the 'Liberte' on the New York run, the purchase order for this ship was signed on July 25, 1956. Construction started October 7, 1957 on the same dry dock the ship 'Normandie' was built. This would be the last time a ship was built in St. Nazaire.

The President of the French Republic attended the ship's christening held on May 11, 1960. 

During the crossings of August 16 & August 27, 1963, the France beat its own records of passengers transported, 1992 going and 2044 returning for a total of 4036 persons.

On Novemer 8th, 1968, at 1:30am, GMT, the France had travelled one million miles.

PARIS, 1921 - The ship 'Paris' commenced being built at the shipyard in 1913. Three years later, service began on September 12, 1916. On June 15, 1921, the Paris sailed on its inaugural trip to New York. In May 26, 1923, a movie house was set up on board.

By 1930, the 'Paris' leaves the fleet.

 

 

 

 

DE GRASSE, 1924 - The De Grasse made its first voyage from Le Havre to New York on August 28, 1927. The ship was completely refurbished in 1945, changing its passenger capacity to 360 in First Class and 360 in Cabin Class. On July 12, 1947, service between Le Havre and New York is resumed. On March 28, 1963, the De Grasse is sold to Canadian Pacific. 

 

 

 

NORMANDIE, 1935 - The building of the Normandie began in the shipyards of St. Nazaire in January 1931 in the midst of the American economic crisis. One of its assured characteristics were 5-day crossings. Very luxurious decorations were commissioned to the best decorators. A grandiose inauguration took place in Le Havre on May 29, 1935, attended by the President of the French Republic. 1070 passengers were aboard the first voyage to North America. After a port-of-call in Southampton, the Normandie arrived in New York on June 3 doing an average speed of 29.94 knots.

A triumphal welcome awaited the Normandie upon arrival on the Hudson River. Two awards were presented to 'Cie. Gle. Transatlantique' for the longest and fastest ship ever afloat. The return trip from New York to Le Havre with 1494 passengers on board took place on June 7th and the average speed was 30.31 knots. The Normandie was awarded the Blue Ribbon. When WWII started, the Normandie had made 135 crossings, transporting approximately 135,000 passengers.

On February 9, 1942, in New York, a fire started on board. Under the weight of the water used to extinguish the fire, the ship capsized. 

 

ILE DE FRANCE, 1949 - Departs Le Havre, at 4:10 pm on September 2, 1939, only to return on June 30, 1949 to Southampton where it arrives the same day at 9:15pm. Leaves this port June 3 at 5:05am (a few hours prior to declaration of war) and arrives in New York, September 9, 1939 with 1777 passengers aboard. After some transformation, the Ile De France departs New York, May 1, 1940 for Marseille with approximately 2200 tons of freight, including 28 airplanes and arrives in Marseille May 10, 1940. Following additional transformation, the Ile De France departs Marseille May 31st for Indochina via Dakar and the Cape to fetch Indochinese workers. However, on the way from the Cape to Saigon, the ship is advised in the middle of the Indian Ocean that the Armistice was signed and decides to change course toward Singapore when it arrives June 30, 1940. 

On July 19, 1940, the Ile De France was requisitioned by the British government. From 1944 on, after some modernization in New York, the Ile De France is used as a troop carrier.

On September 19, 1945, a French crew takes possession of the ship which continues to navigate the orders of the Transport of War Ministry bringing troops back from Europe to their country of Origin. 

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Now immortalized in one very special Classic Collection of placemats and coasters, these images of each of Les Grands Paquebots not only capture the majesty and eloquence of a different era in travel, together as a collection, they also capture the history of shipbuilding as well as sharing a piece in the history of the world.

The French Line deliciously epitomized the 'French Way of Life' luxury, art and voluptuousness. Gastronomy was the order of the day, yet these ships also served an important role in World War II.

Only 2000 coaster sets and fewer than 1300 placemat sets were made for private distribution by the French Line Transit Company as promotional giveaways and Holiday Gifts in 1991. These were never sold at retail, and as such are Highly Collectible, only occasionally turning up at select antique auctions or shops having a previous connection with The French Line.

Just a few sets now remain from the original production, and, once again, by special arrangement with the original producers of this collection, Spanek Enterprises www.spanek.com, The Art Marketer is able to offer the few remaining sets at a special price to the right party. Once sold, they will not be replaced, making these sets that much more valued and collectible.   

The Collection would be most at home in a Maritime Museum, historical society, antique shop, Corporate Maritime Collection, or with a private collector or dealer having a strong interest in Maritime Art and History. But we would be willing to entertain interest and offers from other parties as well. 

For more information, please contact The Art Marketer at 914.907.9842 or email: [email protected].