Insight Exhibition Catalogue

INSIGHT ELLE RENE

The Queen's Park Gallery, Bridgetown, St.Michael

Exhibition Opening Hours:

Monday -Saturday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday CLOSED

Exhibition Closes:

Wednesday, April 24th 2024

For more information email ellerene.art@gmail.com/ Oneka-Small@ncf.bb or call 427-2345

Insight.

noun

“The act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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INSIGHT

Q&A WITH ONEKA SMALL

(CURATOR, QUEENS PARK GALLERY)

Who is Elle Rene?

What life experiences led you to be an artist?

Elle Rene is my alter-ego. It allows me to

I’ve always loved art. I think that when I got

distance myself from my work as much as I

into comics and manga it amplified my desire

need to. Work is often personal, but sometimes

to be an artist, as well as my love of

I like the ability to hear what people think

storytelling. Over time that focus shifted to

about my work without being identified as the

video games, then illustration and eventually

artist. It also helps to maintain distance on

to painting. I always tell the story of the first

social media; to keep my public and private

time I saw the painting ‘The Black Prince at

matters separate. The simplest answer,

Crecy‘ by Julian Story in a museum. It was the

however, is that Elle Rene is an artist, and

moment that solidified my interest in painting

writer who loves telling stories. It’s actually a

and my love of museum spaces. My love of

shortening of my name Giselle René Angeline

storytelling has not changed though, and I still

Walker.

write every day, intending to eventually be a published author.

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ELEGANT|2021|60” X 36”|OIL ON CANVAS| NFS 6

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HER THRONE|2022|30” X 20”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $780.00 8

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INNER THOUGHTS|2024|45” X 36”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS SOLD

SUMMER’S BREEZE|2023|16” X 20”|OIL ON CANVAS $780.00

CONFIDENCE|2024|16” X 20”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS SOLD INSIGHT

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MEA CULPA |2023|72” X 48”|OIL ON CANVAS $6,500.00 10

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POISE|2021|48” X 36”|OIL ON CANVAS| $2,210.00

BLINDED|2023|40” X 22”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS| $1,365.00 INSIGHT

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You come from a creative family. How has

How does technology, the internet, social

that impacted or assisted you on your

media and an expansive world view inform

journey?

your work?

It raised my standards, haha! Being

I’ve incorporated technology into my

surrounded by creatives, especially ones that

workflow through the use of photographs,

function at a high level, makes you look at

digital painting etc. to get a concrete idea of

your own work more critically. It meant that

what I want a piece to look like before I start

every painting I made for this show was

painting the physical piece. Being exposed to

heavily scrutinised (by myself) before I would

so many things on the internet through social

give it the pass to be finished. And even then I

media, is somewhat of a double-edged sword.

still often went back to make corrections. I

It means I always have something to which I

subscribe to the idea that nothing is ever

compare myself, but at the same time I’m able

finished, you just choose when to stop (or

to hone in on what makes my work unique.

when you’ve had enough).

Does AI factor into to the development of How old are you?

I turned twenty-seven on the 20th of February 2024.

your work?

No, it doesn’t. I have mixed feelings about AI. On one hand it could be a wonderful tool, but currently it is built on the backs of artists

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Q&A WITH ONEKA SMALL

who are not compensated for having their

friends model for me, and sometimes I scour

work used to train these programs. So, from a

through old photographs for pieces I think

moral standpoint, I avoid such programs.

have interesting poses. The ones that I think have the potential to be altered into

How do you feel about the development of something more compelling I’ll then open in art, locally and internationally?

Adobe Photoshop. I have a digital tablet, a I am optimistic with the way things are

Cintiq, that I use for commissions and

headed, especially with the internet providing

illustration work. Using that I’ll paint over the

more avenues for local artists to get their work

original photograph until I land on a concept

out to the public as well as to sell/ receive

with which I’m happy. Usually, I’ll take it to a

commissions, without having to rely solely on

point where it's nearly finished on the

the local market. I still think there needs to be

computer and then I’ll transfer the outline

more support put in place for local artists,

onto the canvas using a projector. I can then

however, things are trending in the right

use the sketch as a very accurate guide for

direction, albeit slowly.

painting. Of course, changes always happen while you’re in the process, but I find that this

What is your process?

The process I developed, beginning with this

method really helps me to cut down on wasted time, as well as helps make sure that I’m

exhibition, starts with photography. Sometimes

satisfied with the posing etc. and that nothing

I model myself, sometimes I'll have family or

feels too static.

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VEILED|2023|30” X 15”|OIL ON CANVAS $1,430.00 14

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FEMME|2022|30” X 20”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $1,105.00

LADY IN YELLOW|2022|72” X 48”|OIL ON CANVAS|$5,460.00 INSIGHT

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DAWN|2023|20” X 30”|OIL ON CANVAS|$1430.00 16

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CELESTIAL|2023|24” X 18”|OIL ON CANVAS| $1,274.00

CONSUMED|2023|24” X 18”|OIL ON CANVAS| $1,235 INSIGHT

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STARE |2022|18” X 36”|OIL ON CANVAS|$1,560.00

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BLUES |2024|22” X 40”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS| $1170.00

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You paint in both acrylic and oils? Do you have a preference and how do you choose

Which international artist has influenced you the most?

which medium to produce a particular piece in?

I think two artists who influenced my style a lot I prefer using oil paint due to the way it blends

are, Malcolm Liepke and J.C Leyendecker. I

and the way I can get the skin to look using it,

don’t think I can choose between the two, but if

since I mostly do portraits. However, due to the

I had to, it would be Malcolm Liepke. There is an

length of time it takes for oil paints to dry I

element to his portraits that is loose, but

usually use acrylics if I have less time to have a

extremely expressive and it sticks with me.

piece finished, or occasionally, if I have a Which local artist has influenced you the most? piece with really vibrant colours. I find that acrylics are better for those bright paintings and oils (for me) tend to turn out softer.

I don’t know if it’s been a direct influence but the recent work of Shane Eastmond and the work of Arianna Holligan have been extremely

Your palette is quite diverse. Do you have a interesting to me. favourite colour? Smile.

I know you are also a writer, does narrative I think it’s because my background is in also factor into your work? illustration, so I just try to find what works best to get the story across. Surprisingly, because there isn’t a lot of it in these pieces, my

Always. I’m always trying to tell a story.

Especially for these pieces that I really go

favourite colour is green.

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Q&A WITH ONEKA SMALL

through the process with. It has to make sense

Is there any symbology that can be read across

to me why I’m doing something. There has to be

the collection?

some kind of narrative that the viewer can

a particular thought you are trying to convey?

Eg When we see flowers is there

follow though to see why I’ve chosen a certain object or method of obscuring something. Or why they’re holding something. It’s never by accident, usually the ones that are less thought through end up being the pieces I like the least, and usually, they end up being cut.

Throughout the collection I’m trying to play with the idea that the face, while important, can sometimes be a distraction, and that there is so much more to see about a person than that. Even in the instances where it’s flipped and the eyes are shown in favour of obscuring

Do you believe in creating artists' statements about your individual pieces? If no or yes, why?

I like the idea of it, I can rarely get myself to do it. But there is also a part of me that doesn’t like to explain what I’m doing in detail. In my mind the title of the piece is the starting line, and wherever the viewer ends up from there is jjust as interesting as what I intended.

the rest of the face, the focus is not how photogenic the person is, but the way they're looking; the expression that can tell you so much about what they’re thinking. I wanted to show the beauty and diversity of women while playing with fantasy elements and getting deep into the idea of shapes and colour language.

For the men of the show, they are (mostly) surrounded by florals. For me, it represents the idea of softness within masculinity and not presenting it as a negative thing. When we see

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them, they’re peaceful. The only exception to

Does the work reflect your personal

this (I believe) is Mea Culpa. This piece plays

experiences or is it from observation? Or is it

with the idea of sin and judgement with the

both or more? e.g. is research involved?

angel standing over his shoulder, but it was just as much to me about presenting the black male in these types of images where they are often absent. This ties over into the more fantastical images of the show that don’t feature men. It’s always about showing that we can exist in these spaces without having to fall back on the often-seen tropes. We’re just as deserving of the fantastic.

Most of the research comes from the reference photos I take but in some cases I will go out and buy flowers, or balloons to get a more accurate representation of what it is II’m portraying. Some of the work is influenced by how I was feeling at the time. Some of the heavier pieces such as ‘Consumed’ came from a time when I was feeling suffocated in my own life and it bled over into my work.

What is the inspiration for the show?

How long have you been producing the I think I got into some of it above but it is

pieces?

about seeing the whole and not just what is obscured. It’s about delving deeper and challenging yourself to read beyond surface level for all things.

The first piece in this series (before I knew it was going to be a series) was produced in 2021. As I continued to experiment with the new method of creating sketches it became

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Q&A WITH ONEKA SMALL

apparent that this was something I wanted to

What is your favourite piece in the collection?

explore more.

‘White Roses’ is one of my favourites. I think it You paint both male and female subjects. Does

captures that softness I was aiming for so well.

your work explore ideas of sexuality and

After that perhaps ‘The Goddess’ or “A Delicate

gender? If it does how are these thoughts

Balance”. It’s hard to choose, I think it changes

expressed in the work?

by day.

I believe it does, but I’ve been a bit more

What was your most challenging piece?

explorative on the male side than the female side touching on ideas of toxic masculinity and the ability to be soft.

I think there is a level of

Mea Culpa Why?

confidence and sureness in women I paint regardless of what they are wearing. A comfort

The intent was for the piece to resemble an old

with their bodies, a comfort, in their clothes, in

Renaissance religious painting. For a long time,

the way they’re presented. They don't shy away

and I worked on this one for months, I could not

from the lens. It is interesting to think about in

get the feeling I was going for. I eventually

writing because I don’t consider myself to be

realised that it was due to the colours I was

that, so in some ways perhaps I’m painting what

using, however, it took going back to my art

I’d like to be.

history days and really thinking about the types of paints they had available at the time, the types of colours, how they used them, etc. to get it to where I needed it to be.

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SUNFLOWERS|2024|30” X 24”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS| SOLD 24

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JOY|2024|24” X 18”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS|SOLD

A DELICATE BALANCE|2024|72” X 48”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $5,850.00 INSIGHT

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THE GODDESS|2024|72” X 48”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $5,850

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WILDFLOWERS |2023|20” X 20”|OIL ON CANVAS| SOLD

WHITE ROSES |2023|20” X 20”|OIL ON CANVAS| SOLD

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FREEDOM 2024|36” X 36”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $1,950.00

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IN THE LIGHT OF THE MOON 2024|24” X 25”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $845.00

YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION 2024|24” X 24”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $845.00

THROUGH THE RED VEIL 2024|24” X 24”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS SOLD

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NATURE: IN REVERENCE |2023|36” X 24”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS SOLD 30

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DEMURE|2024|30” X 20”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS $1,170.00

SHHH! |2024|18” X 24”|ACRYLIC ON CANVAS| SOLD

STATUESQUE |2023|20” X 16”|OIL ON CANVAS $780.00

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You work at all different sizes. What informs

Does size matter?

your size selection?

I think it can change the way someone It’s a feeling, which is a really bad answer.

Usually when I sketch I have an idea of what

influenced by the subject matter. The more

I want so I stick to the standard canvas ratios

impactful I think something can be the more

(2:3, 4:5 etc.). When it’s time to transfer the

space I want to give it. This can be a

piece I choose a canvas size based on

problem though because moving 6ft

impact. Is this a subject/ pose that needs to

paintings is difficult.

go large to give the full effect of what I‘m going for? The smallest I usually paint at is 16” x 20”. So if it doesn’t need to be large to get the impact I’ll go for the canvas smaller size. If it needs the space to really breathe, to have the viewer step back to take it in, then I know I need to go larger. If the subject matter is also fairly detailed, I tend to go larger.

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reacts to the painting. But that to me is

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Q&A WITH ONEKA SMALL INSIGHT

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Sketches.

THE PROCESS FOR THE CREATION OF WORK FOR THIS EXHIBITION EXPERIENCED JUST AS MUCH OF A METAMORPHOSIS AS THE PAINTING PROCESS. THIS SECTION EXPLORES THE CREATION OF PIECES AND THE EVOLUTION OF THAT PROCESS

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PHOTO

Finding ways to incorporate photography into my process was the inspiration for the creation of all of the paintings displayed in this exhibition.

Many of the photographs I started with were from model sessions, some provided by the Barbados Photographic Society, and some arranged with friends in the time leading up to my thesis for my Bachelor’s program.

The images on the left are the initial photo and final sketch for the piece entitled ‘Blues’.

This was one of the first pieces I created in this style. It’s simpler in nature, focusing mostly on colour, shapes and posing.

The adjustments are much simpler, mostly in the feet and dress. But it still holds a special place in my heart as one of the pieces that helped to inspire this entire showcase.

SKETCH SKETCHES

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PHOTO

Once I became more comfortable with the idea of working over photographs and began to develop a visual style, I began taking self-portraits mainly for the purpose of creating sketches for future work.

The images on the left are the initial photo and final sketch for the piece entitled ‘Stare’. It was around this time where I became more comfortable with using the base poses, but creating more elaborate ideas around them.

Digital became a key aspect of my concept development process. Most, if not all, of the sketches in this section were painted within Photoshop using a similar process that I use for my digital work. In some cases multiple photographs are used to capture the idea of environments, flora, fauna etc.

SKETCH SKETCHES

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SKETCHES

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Elle

Rene

(Giselle

Walker)

is

a

Painter,

Curator and Writer from the island of Barbados in

the

Caribbean.

In

2015

she

gained

her

Associate's degree in Fine Art from the Barbados Community

College

before

attending

Ringling

College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

She

received

a

Bachelor’s

in

Illustration

with

honours in 2019 before returning home, where she once again picked up painting with a focus on portraiture in both Acrylics and Oils. She has curated several shows in association with the Barbados

Photographic

society

and

Artists

Alliance Barbados and loves the opportunity to meet with other creatives.