Daniel Serrec

My first drawings date back to adolescence, in 1964, I have a try to copy celebrities portraits, then in secundary school, at drawing class, it becomes a game for me to realize in some pencil stroke an umbrella, a vase, and so on. I waited for this class with gladness.

I reproduce according to photos, with gouache, some pets, birds, I keep it a pleasant memory.

In 1970, I copy the portrait of Martin Luther King, and three years later that of Beethoven.

When I was twenty, I achieve the portrait of Frederic Chopin found on a case of disc (see the picture), of Kennedy, it is my charcoal period.

My first exhibitin takes place at Cognac on occasion of the Festival of Detective Movie, in 1985 I present, with oily pastel, the portraits of Catherine Deneuve, Roger Hanin, Annie Girardot, Sophie Marceau, Georges Brassens...

The time is running and it is much more later, in 1997, that I realize, in outdoor, the small chapel of the village of Monchanson, in Cantal, with a simple pencil, on a Canson paper, not having thought of setting a material.

At last, in 2002, encouraged by my wife (who offers me a tool-box with oil painting), I get into touch with oil-painting which becomes my favorite material.

After two exhibitions within an association of district, I decide to show my paintings in a gallery, in Bordeaux, the Condillac Gallery, which is going to invite me for three years (2004, 2005, 2006). Public grants me a very good reception, what encourages me.. What is more, Mr Torrente, person in charge of the Gallery and drawing teacher, give me some improvised enseignement during some evenings in the Gallery.

For this time, I decide to work on the perspective, the lines of escape, I start very often from primary colours to make my own palette.

As soon as I can, I set up my easel near the edges of the Garonne river or Arcachon Basin.

My technique, it is the brush and soon I use the knife, an excellent process, very rich in possibilities, interesting in particular for the foregrounds. The wedding of these two techniques is very playful facilitating many nuances, without working in the thickness of the paint.

As I briefly evoked it, my favorite, almost essential for me is the water, it animates, lights up the subject as the colors.

I am a self-taught, at the moment, by choice, although having received the advice of renowned painters of the region.