Yael Maimon

Alert © Yael Maimon

Name: Yael Maimon

URL : http://yaelmaimon.com/

Bio:  Yael Maimon was born in Israel in 1980. In 2003 she graduated from Bar Ilan University with a first degree B.A. in Psychology. A visit to Rome triggered her re-orientation to fine art as a career. Although largely self-taught, her art education includes studying with Israeli oil painter Amnon David Ar in 2005-6, attending Margaret Dyer's pastel workshop in France, and Eugen Chisnicean's watercolor workshop, and meeting other pastelists including Kippy Hammond and Donna Stein. Her broader artistic influences range through Vermeer, Sorolla and Sargent to Monet and Berthe Morisot.

Perhaps best known for her Cats series, Maimon is also working on a magical figurative series called Once Upon a Time and a still-life Pastry series, inspired by Paris patisserie displays. 

Although grounded in realism, Maimon's paintings are often impressionist in nature. In her work process there's always room for improvisation and spontaneity. She has participated in group exhibitions in Israel, and her work is in private collections. She was featured in the August/September 2014 issue of International Artist, where she demonstrated her working methods; and in the October 2014 Pastel Journal (she had an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Pastel 100). Other awards are listed on her website.

Maimon works from home in Ashkelon, and is represented by Bernard Gallery, in Tel Aviv.

Medium: Pastel, oil, watercolour.

Subjects: Cats; figurative.

Style: Representational, but impressionistic.

Technique: “When painting, my first reference is photos I take. My photos are only a starting point. Usually, I select one or two photos and make changes in composition and lighting. Secondly, I use quick sketches I make from observations. My third reference is memory. I just love watching my cats playing, eating, interacting, cleaning themselves and napping. Some of my paintings are based purely on specific memory scenes. My fourth most important reference is my imagination! 

I start a painting with making a rough sketch directly on my surface. After making the sketch, I jump in with colors, working all over the painting. I am building up the forms, playing with the colors, overlapping warms and cools and gradually making my way to the darkest darks. Finally, I adjust the edges and add strokes here and there to increase the visual rhythm in the painting. When I feel that I have captured the essence of my subject, I stop.”

Navigation: Simple website, with links at top of all pages.

Gallery: Oils; Pastels; Once Upon a Time Series; Watercolors.

Image View:  Thumbnails open on new page; you can scroll through, or revert to thumbnails to select. Paintings are named and dimensions given. Images may be saved. Alert is 57.6 KB, 29 x 50 cms.

Facebook: Yes

Blog: http://yaelmaimon.blogspot.co.il/