A COLLABORATION WITH ATLAS PEARLS

I'm very excited to announce my collaboration with Atlas Pearls and to create an exclusive collection of new works inspired by their latest campaign that took place at one of their remote Atlas Pearl farms in Flores, Indonesia.

An exclusive collection of paintings inspired by the stunning palette of cotton candy sunrises, vibrant blue skies, palm trees and jungle for as far as the eye can see, dead calm tropical storms, the gentle sound of waves, bright sunshine and every condition in between, these are 'The Southern Seas'.

Ocean of dreams, acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas, 121 x 121 cm 

“Secluded, dreamy and faraway, are the words that come to mind and the inspiration behind the new collection.”

This new and exciting collaboration with Atlas Pearls was born after I saw the new Atlas Pearls campaign shot and filmed by Justin Griffiths. The campaign features Atlas model, adventurer and Australian Survivor TV contestant Sarah Tilleke, on location in the wild and beautiful Indonesian Archipelago.

“At Atlas, we respect and honour nature and the environment. It is essential to value the environment where we make our beautiful pearls and it is also integral to who we are as a company,” says Pierre Fallourd, Managing Director of Atlas Pearls.

“Francesca has successfully captured the essence of the pearl farm landscape. Her unique style and wonderful sense and understanding of colour and contrast is uplifting.

“We are delighted to welcome Francesca into the Atlas Pearls family as our new artist-in-residence,” says Mr Fallourd.

You are all invited to join me for the launch of this exciting collaboration on Wednesday 29th November, 6-8pm, at the Atlas Pearls showroom, 47-49 Bayview Terrace, Claremont, WA. Please RSVP to pr@fragnagna.com if you'll be able to attend. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

PROMISE OF SPRING

'Promise of Spring' exhibition launched on Thursday night at Seven Willow Designs studio in Mount Lawley. 

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended the opening on Thursday and made it such a wonderful night!

A very special thank you goes to Sharon, the gallery owner for putting together such a wonderful show, our wine sponsor Wine Winery, Expo Group for the invitations and Donny Pollen for the floral installation. 

For this exhibition I'm very excited to have collaborated with Seven Willow Designs.

Each painting is styled in a recreated home-like scenario rather than hanging up against traditional white cube gallery walls.

'Stormy evening' 110 x 175 cm acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas

'Chasing the light I-II' 65 x 115 cm each acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas

For me art completely ties a room together and becomes the visual focal point which can elevate a room significantly. The right selection of art can make a property feel more complete and elegant.

'Misty view from above' 195 x 125 cm acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas

For those who couldn't make it to the launch, the exhibition continues until 10th September at Seven Willow Designs, open Tuesday to Friday 10am - 5pm and Saturday 10am - 5pm suite 4, Second Avenue Plaza, corner of 755 Beaufort Street and Second Avenue, Mount Lawley

COBALT BLUE

Cobalt blue! This is an intoxicating colour - the colour of sun washed freedom!

I spent the last four weeks refuelling on inspiration and recharging my creative heart in a small coastal surf town in Portugal, called Ericeira.

To my surprise, almost every corner of this small fishing village is painted in cobalt blue, which enriches the town with a vibrancy and uniqueness that are a delight to my eyes! 

Along the coast, the water turns from cerulean to navy, to aqua, depending on the qualities of light and sun. Smooth, ruffled, or simply dreamy; that ocean is not silent. Every time I have watched it and listened to it, I saw a different story. At first it told me only of the plain calm beaches of towns and people close to me, but later it grew more friendly and spoke of other things; of things more distant in space and in time.

I think that a dream like that will never return. I painted my hands and face blue, then all of sudden I was abducted by the wind and I started to fly in the infinite sky, to fly, to sing... In the blue, painted blue... Happy to stay up there, and I flew and flew, happily, higher than the sun and even higher! (NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU ~ D. MODUGNO)

‘Whispering tide’ is one of my latest ocean inspired landscapes: every time you will be looking at this piece I want you to feel the soft breeze, inhale the fragrance of sea mist and luxuriate in the warmth of the sun!

'Whispering tide' acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas 101 x 101 cm

This painting, along with my latest collection of emotional landscapes, will be on show at my upcoming exhibition in Perth ‘Promise of Spring’ opening on Thursday 10th August at Seven Willows Designs Studio, from 6-8pm Suite 4 Second Avenue Plaza, 755 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley

You are all invited, please email me at info@francescagnagnarella.com if you’d like to receive an invitation or simply RSVP to Sharon at sevenwillowdesigns@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Hope to see you there!

LA BELLE VIE

I recently had the pleasure of painting a 6 metres canvas for fashion designer Betty Tran’s latest campaign ‘La Belle Vie’

Betty asked me to create a backdrop for the photo-shoot of her latest collection, which debuted in Paris during Fashion Week in March while I was exhibiting in Hong Kong.

La Belle Vie (‘The Beautiful Life’ in French) is inspired from Betty's journey of being a first time mother to her newborn daughter Sophia who has brought so much love, colour, joy and beauty into her life. This collection is dedicated to all women around the world and celebrates diversity and differences through the beauty of art.

Photography: Aaron McPollin

My interpretation
of the theme 'La Belle Vie' 
onto canvas is
an ethereal atmosphere, 
magical, 
dreamy,
made of soft pastels hues, 
to create a dreamlike and joyous scenario, 
as if the models were  stepping out of one of Monet's painting, 
like a bubble, 
like a dream....
 

We’re all thrilled with the results and I wish Betty all the best on her debut at Paris Fashion Week and the launch of her new collection 'La Belle Vie'

Photography | Aaron McPolin

Producer & Stylist | Betty Tran

Art | Francesca Gnagnarella

Models | Philippa Bingham, Madeleine Mitchell, Ayor Makur

Makeup | Bruce Lim

Make up assistant | Vickie Nguyen

Hair | Terry Clark

Florals |  Samara Flavel

Production assistants | Lisa Fougerouse, Sabrina Ciffolilli, Marina Sarkoskii, Danielle Colalillo

A CROWNING MOMENT

I am very excited to announce that I was chosen as one of only 22 Western Australian artists to have my works featured in the recently launched 6 star Crown Towers Hotel in Perth. 

Upon finding out that I had been selected I couldn't contain my excitement! I was feeling very happy and proud at the same time that my paintings would be featured in such a large-scale project. Being associated with the Crown brand is great, and I feel honoured to be able to represent WA artists in front of an international audience. 

For the pieces that feature in the King and Queen Rooms, I have created a Pilbara inspired series of paintings, including the artwork titled 'Once upon this island' which is now hanging in the Chef's Tasting Room. 

"Beautiful deep red dirt, matched with see-through aqua tones, bringing earth and ocean together in aerial views from above the Tropic of Capricorn."

I have also created a custom painting for the Bridal Suite, which consists of more delicate lines and elegant tones. "A dreamy cloudscape, a landscape surrounded by a gentle aura that begins to glow in the early hours of the day. That particular moment of suspension when the land becomes one with the sky and everything is wrapped in a brilliant atmosphere, in the brightest gold lights".

The hotel interiors are stunning and the attention to detail is incredible and surprising, as you walk through the rooms and suites or discover common areas styled to perfection. T hotel is a beautiful addition to Perth, with spectacular views of the river and the city! 

COMMISSIONS

Happy New Year art lovers!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and spent some quality time relaxing with your families…

I can’t believe how fast the year has gone!

For me the ocean and the beach are the best way to recharge for whatever the New Year might bring and to refuel on inspiration…

I am now back in the studio and will be taking on new commissions for 2017

Usually, the first step in arranging a commission involves visiting my gallery space to look at earlier works on display to see if there is anything you like, to find the style you love and to choose the colour scheme you are interested in. 

'Soft Horizon' H 116 x W 76 cm 

Alternatively, if you don’t live in Perth, you can easily browse through photographs of previously sold paintings all available online on my website fragnagna.com/shop

I have successfully completed many commissioned artworks to collectors all around the world so don’t be afraid if you can’t visit my gallery in person, I will be able to assist you along the way and will be in touch regularly with work in progress shots.

Step 1 - Work in progress shot sent to a client to showcase texture and colours

Step 2 - Another work in progress shot sent to a client after applying gold leaf

Step 3 - Finished paintings installed in client's living room 

As most of my paintings are abstract landscapes, sometimes I have also worked on commissions inspired by my clients’ favourite beaches, like these paintings of Rottnest Island’s “The Basin” and Wyadup Rocks “Spa Pool” which I have reinterpreted loosely in abstract form onto canvas.

Prices vary depending on sizes, starting at $950 up to $5900 for one of the largest sizes, and anything in between. 

All canvases are custom made to order, so any size can be created.

 I often also work on very large paintings for commercial buildings, hotels and foyers, so please don't hesitate to get in touch if you require any more details for large-scale projects. 

Unlike other artists, my commissions prices are the same as when they sell at the gallery

So which style would you like?

BOOK REVIEW: RENDEZ-VOUS A SAINT GERMAIN

I’ve just returned from a much needed break in Europe. I always try to get a chance each year to return to my home country to visit family and friends, and of course, to take the opportunity to enjoy the warm summer sun while here in Australia I leave behind the colder winter months.

But before I get back into work mode, and head into my studio, I didn't want to pass up the chance to introduce you to my dad Giuseppe Gnagnarella’s first novel, Rendez-vous a Saint-Germain

Giuseppe (I like to call him pop!) is based in Rome, Italy, he’s just retired from a brilliant career in journalism and he’s the author of previously published historical and political books. Pop worked for many years at the RAI (Italy’s national public broadcasting company) amongst his most recent positions he was in charge of the communication of the RAI’s Presidency, he was the spokesman for the Deputy General Director of RAI, and RAI Channel 2 head of press office.

Here I am with Pop and his book 'Rendez-vous a Saint-Germain' (Gangemi Editore)

My dad has always had an interesting and unique eye for every day’s life, which he transforms into magical moments with his confident and elegant words. Something I'm not good at, but I’ve always been fascinated by... The closest I get to poetry is when I title my paintings, which I love doing so much, it’s my way of transporting myself and the viewers into the magical world created in my paintings.

I love the preface of the book: 'Writing is like running, it's good for the heart!'

This book celebrates the neighborhood Saint-Germain, where the heart of Paris beats. Four chapters, entitled and dedicated to the four seasons, guide us into the novel through a dedication to Paris at the beginning of each chapter. My favourite one is “If you love life, you will love Paris”

Each chapter, with a technique not frequently used by Italian writers, tells the same period and it is reported and narrated “by a different heart, a different mind.” The book is addressed to everyone but especially to the young ones (or young at heart!) who love Paris: there is the art student, a French friend, a mentor and fellow student. A book that you will read with pleasure, elegant in content and in form.

I love the ink sketches of typical Parisian corners at the beginning of each chapter, and under each photo, a lovely surprise, there’s a finished story of two lines, in line with the allure of the book, but not part of the story… just to keep us dreaming a little bit more! :)

The book has just been published in Italian by Gangemi publisher, and it will be officially launched on October 10, in Rome.

The author has planned to publish an English version by the end of the year, so watch this space.

To pick up your copy in Italian from Amazon, click here

EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE EXHIBITION

Last week I launched my latest solo exhibition in Perth titled 'Emotional Landscape' a new series of abstract landscapes inspired by Western Australia, the sunburnt country I now call home.  In this exciting exhibition I have used the visually striking colours of the Western Australian landscape in combination with its scale and texture to explore a new place, land and culture.  

Bird's Eye View II, acrylic and 23 karat gold leaf on canvas H 130 x W 200 cm $5 900 

The gallery was all glammed up thanks to the beautiful accessories by Perth Style Co.  (bed throw cushions and bed side lamps) and the stunning ombré curtain by Help Love Designs.

I thank you all my amazing supporters who attended the VIP launch and made the night such a great success. The gallery was packed with beautiful people and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did and enjoyed the show! 

And most of all a huge thank you to our event sponsors:

Jonte Designs for the amazing outfit,

Zamora Shoes for those divine shoes,

Firesun for the most colourful rug,

Pemberley Wines for the perfect wines selection. 

Request an appointment to view the collection by emailing info@francescagnagnarella.com