Irena Altmanova

Czech, 1923 - 2019

http://altmanovapastels.com/Vita.html
https://altamontenterprise.com/10012019/irena-altmanova-frinta
Artist statement: All through my childhood and youth I lived in large cities-Plzen, Prague, and Paris. Surrounded by old stone architecture, I wished for colorful gardens, high mountains, rolling hills, soft meadows, and wide horizons. Now I live in Altamont, NY, and even though the nature I see around me is a reality, it is this fervent dream of a child that permeates and dominates my work. I always start with “Once upon a time...” My landscapes are without people. I like to walk in them alone-at dawn, on a windy day, under the sun or the moon, in spring or summer, fall or winter. All seasons are enchanting subjects for my pastels. Prague gave me a strong sense for composition, for serenity, and for stability. Paris gave me the color, the light, and the excitement. Altamont gave me the nature-the poetry of meadows, hills, trees, and open skies. When I paint, it all comes together. I start with a composition, get excited over the colors, and compose a poem on the Nature.