The last Christmas into a feeding frenzy of Christmas gifts my partner comes home with a book for my mother. I was just super envy because the book put two of my most unruly passions: illustration and watercolor.
The book is “Roofs of Paris” wonderfully illustrated by watercolour Fabrice Moireau with texts and poems by Carl Norac. I'm crazy about Monsieur Moireau and his illustrations to such an extent that I bought the Roofs of Paris but also the collection of watercolors of Rome (with texts by Dominique Fernandez).
Today I find that there are several other sketchbooks illustrated as that on New York, the beautiful gardens of Paris, Venice and many others. I can't wait to buy them all and enjoy the exquisite atmosphere of family and other places completely unknown… I hope not for long.
I litterally go crazy when I look at a scketchbook by Moireau because he has the wonderful ability to bring me back a lifetime ago, when I was a child and left stuck for hours, with the head that wandered somewhere, looking at photographs of extinct civilization or paintings of religious figures in a grimace twisted eloquent suffering.
For a while I thought forgot what it meant observe carefully, not doing things without paying attention, but the truth is that the eye inquiring that you have when you don't know is more effective and exciting of critical eye that you have accumulated over time with wisdom and culture. I don't know what is better. I Know, but, that monsieur Moireau sweeps all my procrastination leaving little argument . Better look curious to those who want to discover.
In fact both the lyrics that illustrations invite you to take a trip to the city with the affected eye, definitely following the classic destinations but also going towards the lanes, less known and discover some little hidden treasures. What fascinates me about work of monsieur Moireau is a tremendous precision. All pieces seem to be made freehand in pencil and then watercoloured with great detail, with the right color dosed in the right way at the right place.
The tables are large and cover a portion of the extensive landscape with several interesting angles and each of these, If you observed carefully, it is really rich of details: not a window in the distance that has been neglected by colour or a brick not drawn on a large brown wall. The attention to detail shows passion for work and great experience.
Fabrice Moireau, class 62, was born in Blois. He graduated at the Ecole superieur national des Arts Appliqués et des Metiers des Artes and then travels. scketchbook in hand and box of watercolours. And paper. Lots of paper… The thick rough and more suitable for coloured spots sometimes uncontrolled rolling from one side to the other of sheet.
Carl Norac Belgian class 60, son of the poet Pierre Coran. Was a French teacher, wrote many books and poems, but his true vocation appears to have literature for kids that has engaged in numerous projects.
To purchase their books I recommend to go on Amazon and here.
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