Vernissage: Alanna Rowntree

Renewed Hope, 2021
acrylic on canvas
80 x 70 cm

17.09.21  |  17h - 19h

Galerie Alpine, 97 Avenue Centrale, 1884 Villars-sur-Ollon

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Galerie Alpine’s Artpéro is back with our first vernissage of the season. See new work by Alanna Rowntree, and meet the artist to learn how she creates her art.

Masks must be worn indoors.

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L'Artpéro de la Galerie Alpine est de retour avec notre premier vernissage de la saison. Découvrez les nouvelles œuvres d'Alanna Rowntree et rencontrez l'artiste pour apprendre comment elle crée son art.

Port du masque obligatoire à l’intérieur.

Interview with Vincenzo Romanelli: The Animal Kingdom’s Master Sculptor

Clay modelling is one of Vincenzo’s favorite parts of the sculpting process.

Vincenzo Romanelli

Galerie Alpine: Bonjour, Vincenzo. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Have you been back to Italy?

Vincenzo Romanelli: I actually just arrived yesterday from the south of Italy, but I’m going back in September for some work.

Galerie Alpine: Was the south of Italy a holiday?

Vincenzo Romanelli: Yes, I was learning to kite surf.

Galerie Alpine: That takes quite a bit of strength and agility.

Vincenzo Romanelli: It’s quite technical. I’m still a beginner.

Galerie Alpine: I’m sure you handled it well, especially as you’re accustomed to the physically taxing and technical work required to create your sculptures. 

Vincenzo Romanelli: For large pieces, building the armature, lifting the clay, and moving the sculptures does require strength. It can be physical, but mainly, it is mentally challenging. It requires a lot of concentration. The clay modelling process itself is quite gentle, as I’m capturing fine details. Marble carving is more physically demanding. 

Vincenzo prefers sculpting outdoors, which he does at his atelier in Gryon.

Galerie Alpine: What do you find mentally challenging about sculpting?

Vincenzo Romanelli: It is the focus and concentration required to allow my mind to transmit what I see to my hands and recreate my vision. This connection is very important and necessary especially when the sculpture is at an advanced point. Very small, subtle details or shapes can make a big difference. Sometimes it’s hard to see. You have to train your eyes to spot the differences between the model and the sculpture.

Galerie Alpine: Are you hinting at the sight-size technique?

Vincenzo Romanelli: Partly, though training your eye to recreate what you see in proportion does relate to the sight-size technique. The sight-size technique helps you to replicate what your eye sees. It’s a method which is also used in drawing and painting. The subject and sculpture are situated side by side. From a certain distance, they both appear the same size, so you can easily compare the two as you work. It allows you to reproduce what you see with exact proportions. 

Galerie Alpine: You sculpt in a studio as well as outdoors. How do the two environments differ for you?
Vincenzo Romanelli: A studio is a closed environment. It’s very good for sculpting as you have optimum conditions—the right light, temperature, tools, and water, but it’s not always possible to sculpt in a studio. I enjoy sculpting outside, from life when possible, especially for commissions. In their natural environment animals are more engaging and show their personality. The difference is that you have limited time to create your sculpture. This can end up being better, as you capture their essence, features, and expression with more immediacy. I have a studio in Gryon in the back garden which I use when I’m in Switzerland. It has a beautiful view, which I find very inspiring. The light is also good.

Galerie Alpine: I imagine it's smaller than your family studio in Florence. What other advantages does working in Gryon offer over working in Florence?

Vincenzo Romanelli: My studio in Gryon is tiny compared to the Florence studio which was an old church. It’s very large. In Gryon, I get direct contact with nature. During the winter I go skiing in search of the resident wildlife. The sightings inspire my sculptures. All of my alpine animals have been created after real-life encounters. Last winter I had the rare privilege of spotting a lynx in the Villars backcountry.

Vincenzo’s draws inspiration for his sculptures from his encounters with Swiss wildlife.

Patination on a bronze sculpture

Sea Urchin, 2018
bronze
40 x 40 x 18 cm

A lynx bronze is part of Vincenzo’s 2021 collection.

An armature, roughly resembling the subject, is built in order to provide a foundation for clay modelling.

Vincenzo his and his brother Raffaello are the latest generation of an art dynasty that has endured for two centuries.

Galerie Alpine: Should we expect to see a lynx sculpture from you in the near future?

Vincenzo Romanelli: I was astonished by the lynx’ beauty, and made a sculpture straight away. I wanted to capture what I felt when I saw her before that feeling faded away. The sculpture is being cast at the Florentine foundry now. It’s part of the 2021 collection, which will be released soon!

Galerie Alpine: Your sculptures are such faithful renderings, and they are truly a personal diary of your experiences with nature. Does each of your sculptures originate in a similar way like your lynx?

Vincenzo Romanelli: Yes, most of my sculptures, especially of undomesticated animals. I refer to books, photos, and documentaries for those which I make just for the pleasure of modelling. Commissions originate from a client’s wish, so they don’t arise from a particular encounter. If it’s a horse or dog, I spend time with them and model them from life. I try to interact or see the animal I’m sculpting. 

Galerie Alpine: I’m sure many people are unaware of all the work that goes into completing a bronze sculpture. How long does the entire process take?

Vincenzo Romanelli: There is no set time. The whole process can take anywhere from one month for a small sculpture to years for monumental sculptures. It depends on the size and the pose, and how complicated the form is. Big commissions and sculptures are made in my family’s Florentine studio as the space can accommodate the large scale. The process starts with the creation of a structure to hold the clay. Clay is applied to the armature, and the details are modelled. The biggest I’ve sculpted so far was a life-size jumping horse which took six weeks just to model in clay. It’s quite fast for that scale, but I worked very long days. Once I arrive at the point where I’m happy with the piece, a negative mould is created using silicon and a plaster shell. After the mould has set, it’s opened and cleaned. The mould is used to create a positive form in wax. This step takes part in the foundry using the traditional lost wax method and is the longest part of the process. 

Galerie Alpine: What part of the process is your favorite?

Vincenzo Romanelli: Modelling in clay, as this is the moment that I interact for the first time with both my creation and my subject. It’s then when I can capture the expression, movement, and pose. I watch as the clay transforms in my hands into a life-like form. I also enjoy the patination of bronze. It’s very exciting, as it gives life and colour to the raw material.

Galerie Alpine: Do you prefer marble or bronze?

Vincenzo Romanelli: Bronze is the best material for the kind of sculptures I make. My great-grandfather Romano believed that a sculptor had to master the carving of a hard stone, but for my subjects and for the texture I give them, marble is often not the right material.

The process of realizing a bronze sculpture has many steps and can be long and arduous.

Cinghiale, 2015
bronze
30 x 16 x 23 cm

Galerie Alpine: You come from a long line of sculptors. Did you always want to be a sculptor?

Vincenzo Romanelli: I grew up surrounded by art. My father is a sculptor, and my mother is a ceramicist, so I was often playing with clay. I always felt my life would be in the arts. When I was 18 I wanted to replicate the maquette of my great-grandfather’s sculpture of Hercules and the Lion, as I loved the power of the pose. I realised I needed more technique to replicate it, so I studied at the Charles H. Cecil Studios to learn the sight-size technique by sculpting the human figure from life..

Galerie Alpine: You started out with human portraiture and your older brother specializes in human portraiture. Why did you decide to specialize in animals?

Vincenzo Romanelli: I decided to sculpt animals for the variety of the forms and anatomies that the animal kingdom offers. It’s always a new discovery, a new pose, a new expression. I’ve always loved animals. I’m able to get closer to them through my creative process—discovering their behaviours, different anatomies, and habitats. It’s also a way to make people more conscious of and sensitive to the animal kingdom and to connect them to animals, which is evermore vital, as we have become more detached from animals and nature. 

Galerie Alpine: What would you be doing if you were not a sculptor?

Vincenzo Romanelli: I love the fine art world and would probably have been more involved in the family gallery which is still being run by my brother. Otherwise, I’ve always been close to nature growing up in the Tuscan countryside, so I may have chosen something which allows me to be outside and connect with the outdoors. But now that I’ve found my place as a sculptor, I can’t imagine being in another profession.

Vincenzo in his studio in Florence.

Interview with Alanna Rowntree: Finding Freedom, Balance, and Inspiration

Deep Breath, 2021
acrylic on canvas
80 x 60 cm

Alanna Rowntree

Galerie Alpine: Bonsoir, Alanna! Are you in Northern Ireland visiting family?

Alanna Rowntree: Yes, after what feels like forever, we had a bit of an epic journey to get here by land and sea! I am from a little seaside town on the coast called Larne, but we spend our time in a gorgeous place called Portstewart. I am finding the sea and the dramatic skies very inspiring since I have been here. They are incredibly moving. I had forgotten.

Galerie Alpine: Your painting Belonging is ocean-inspired. It's quite dramatic.

Alanna Rowntree: Yes, it is. I feel that is really a piece that lots of people have connected with. I am very fond of it. I am very connected to it as well, because feelings of the ocean and those memories are wrapped up in it.

Galerie Alpine: Did you draw inspiration from Portstewart for this particular painting?

Alanna Rowntree: I did. As well as a feeling of longing to be in this place again and the frustration and fear of not knowing when that might be due to Covid.

Galerie Alpine: You started making work again after a long hiatus, during the pandemic. What drew you back to painting during this time?

Alanna Rowntree: It was something I felt absolutely compelled to do actually. I found a blank canvas, and it really called to me! I needed to paint again and find freedom in times of lockdown!

Galerie Alpine: Your paintings have titles like Sisters, Renewed Hope, Deep Breath, Belonging, Finding Balance, and Warm Heart. It makes sense especially through a lens of the pandemic and lockdown. It's truly a pandemic art series.

Alanna Rowntree:  It is! I feel that it is nice to draw a positive from such a negative situation though. The titles are really about the emotions and moments going into each piece. These paintings are all about feelings, revisiting them and working a way through them personally—almost in desperate need to do so!

Renewed Hope, 2021
acrylic on canvas
80 x 70 cm

Galerie Alpine: Your art was representational before, but now you’re exploring an abstract style. Why the switch?

Alanna Rowntree: I have loved trying out a new abstract style, because before painting for me was about trying to represent exactly what I saw, and I tried to make things perfect. Abstract painting is about freedom for me as the artist and for the viewer. I love that it can mean something different for me, and someone else with different experiences in life can see something in it of themselves. I think that’s the beauty and allure of abstract art. I don’t feel there is anything finite about it. I would like viewers to experience something personal, whether it is touching on a particular emotion, or it makes them feel calm to look at it and explore the piece.

Galerie Alpine: Hopefully, the world is on the path the stabilising, and we're seeing the end of the pandemic. How do you think your work will evolve?

Alanna Rowntree: I don’t know, but I like not knowing how it will look. I purposely like to not decide how my finished paintings will look when I begin. The process and building layers are what it is about, and I ‘find’ the finished piece eventually. I love that process of exploring and not knowing. I hope to keep finding more freedom in my work, and, hopefully, it will adapt with me.

Galerie Alpine: Your "purposely unstructured" process!

Alanna Rowntree: Exactly. For a person who worries a lot and gets anxious it is an incredible thing to have that freedom and flow.

Galerie Alpine: You are known to rework and paint over pieces you don't think are working well.

Alanna Rowntree: I do that quite a bit. If it doesn’t feel right for me as it is, I will just start over. It is so refreshing. The process is all part of the finished piece, and all those layers are always going to be there.

Galerie Alpine: Layers are an important component of your paintings. How do you go about creating them?

Alanna Rowntree: I love the process! I really enjoy the process of creating texture. It is very satisfying. There is lots of drying time between layers. A piece can take some time, as I will paint a very messy random layer on top of the gesso texture base for colour. Next, I start to layer and layer my shades. I use gesso and brushes, or sometimes even household items like rock salt and cling film to create the shapes and desired texture! There are the emotional layers that go into the physical layers of paint too.

Galerie Alpine: These aren't simply paintings. They're actually mixed media.

Alanna Rowntree: Yes, and I can see myself going further down that route in the future, as I love the tactile nature of it.

Galerie Alpine: I'm starting to see a common theme in all aspects of your work. It's freedom.

Alanna Rowntree: It is all about finding freedom. It is so liberating. It really is.

Finding Balance, 2021
acrylic on canvas
50 x 60cm

Renewed Hope, 2021
acrylic on canvas
80 x 70 cm

Artpéro: An Evening of Art and Drinks

Samedi 31 Juillet 2021, 17-19h
Galerie Alpine, 97 Avenue Centrale, 1884 Villars-sur-Ollon

Open to all: Our members and friends of the Gallery are cordially invited to a cultural evening of art & drinks. Meet local artists, purchase art and enjoy member discounts. Don't forget your mask!

Ouvert à tous: que nos membres et amis de la Galerie sont cordialement invités à la soirée culturelle d'art & apéritif. Rencontrez des artistes locaux, achetez des œuvres d'art et bénéficiez de réductions pour les membres. N’oubliez pas votre masque!

Welcome to the New Galerie Alpine Website

Sophie Scott realised a long-term ambition by establishing Galerie Alpine in 2016.

Robin Scott currently acts as vice-chairman and treasurer.

In the autumn of 2016 artist Sophie Scott noticed that the perfect location to fulfil a long-term ambition - a shop with five large windows - had become available for rent in the centre of Villars-sur-Ollon. She managed to convince her husband Robin Scott and a handful of other local artists - Bill O’Connor, Emma Pigott, Fara Torrance and Cat Saunders to open an art gallery, following the success of previous exhibitions.

We opened the doors of Galerie Alpine shortly before Christmas in 2016 to create a centre of art for Villars and Gryon where visitors and the local community encounter authentic artwork connected to the region. More than a score of artists trusted us to represent their amazing work. With the support of fellow businesses, the international schools and generous, sustained patronage of the local community, we now support more than twenty artists and our doors remain open today.

The gallery operates solely through volunteer efforts of dedicated committee members and working artists of the Galerie Alpine Association. Artists come and go, but a few have stayed for the duration. Photographer Lee Johnson joined us in 2017 to help form the committee and artist-designer Bao-Khang Luu joined us in 2019 to help us improve our marketing and develop the new website.

We have so far survived the choppy waters of the pandemic and two mandatory shutdowns and we hope to succeed. We constantly strive to improve representation of our artists and ways for art patrons to discover our exhibitions. Over a year of planning and production culminates in our latest website. It brims with information and images giving you a more revealing look behind the scenes and into the gallery.

• Get to know all our current artists and view a special selection of their works available in the gallery through expanded artist profiles and portfolios.

• Conveniently place advance orders for gallery membership and bon cadeau in our online shop.

• Find inspiration in a showcase of current student artwork and learn how we can help you develop your inner artist in the atelier.

• When you find yourself with a burning question you can contact us directly through our contact page.

• Stay informed about what’s happening in and around the gallery.

• If you’re an artist interested in joining the gallery, you can apply all year round through our online application.

We welcome you to explore the new GalerieAlpine.com. The iteration launching today reveals the first steps of many exciting developments. Revisit us often to discover even more features that we will unveil throughout the upcoming months.

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Lee Johnson nous a rejoint en 2017 pour aider à former le comité.

Bao-Khang Luu nous a rejoint en 2019 pour nous aider à améliorer notre marketing.

Dans l’automne 2016, l'artiste Sophie Scott a remarqué que l'emplacement idéal pour réaliser une ambition à long terme - une boutique avec cinq grandes vitrines, était disponible à la location dans le centre de Villars-sur-Ollon. Elle réussit à convaincre son mari Robin Scott et une poignée d'autres artistes locaux - Bill O'Connor, Emma Pigott, Fara Torrance et Cat Saunders d'ouvrir une galerie d'art, suite au succès des expositions précédentes.

Nous avons ouvert les portes de la Galerie Alpine peu avant Noël en 2016 pour créer un centre d'art pour Villars et Gryon où les visiteurs et la communauté locale rencontrent des œuvres d'art authentiques liées à la région. Plus d'une vingtaine d'artistes nous ont fait confiance pour représenter leur incroyable travail. Grâce au soutien d'autres entreprises, les écoles internationales et au mécénat généreux et durable de la communauté locale, nous soutenons plus de vingt artistes et nos portes restent ouvertes aujourd'hui.

La galerie fonctionne uniquement grâce aux efforts bénévoles des membres dévoués du comité et des artistes actifs de l'association Galerie Alpine et Atelier. Les artistes vont et viennent, mais quelques-uns sont restés pour la durée. Le photographe Lee Johnson nous a rejoint en 2017 pour aider à former le comité et l'artiste-designer Bao-Kkang Luu nous a rejoint en 2019 pour nous aider à améliorer notre marketing et à développer le nouveau site Web.

Nous avons jusqu'à présent survécu aux eaux agitées de la pandémie et à deux fermetures obligatoires et nous espérons réussir. Nous nous efforçons constamment d'améliorer la représentation de nos artistes et les moyens pour les amateurs d'art de découvrir nos expositions. Plus d'un an de planification et de production a abouti à notre dernier site web. Il regorge d'informations et d'images vous donnant un aperçu plus révélateur des coulisses et de la galerie.

• Apprenez à connaître tous nos artistes actuels et regardez une sélection spéciale de leurs œuvres disponibles dans la galerie grâce aux profils et aux portfolios des artistes.

• Passez facilement des commandes anticipées pour l'adhésion à la galerie et les bons cadeaux dans notre boutique en ligne.

• Trouvez l'inspiration dans d'œuvres d'étudiants actuels et découvrez comment nous pouvons vous aider à développer l'artiste qui sommeille en vous dans l'atelier.

• Si vous avez une question spécifique, vous pouvez nous contacter directement via notre page de contact.

• Restez informé de ce qui se passe dans et autour de la galerie.

• Si vous êtes un artiste désireux de rejoindre la galerie, vous pouvez poser votre candidature tout au long de l'année via notre formulaire en ligne.

Nous vous invitons à explorer la nouvelle GalerieAlpine.com. L'itération lancée aujourd'hui révèle les premiers pas de nombreux développements passionnants. Revisitez-nous souvent pour découvrir encore plus de fonctionnalités que nous dévoilerons au cours des prochains mois.