Bio

I lived in San Francisco, USA, for 10 years beginning in the 80s and I really believe that if there is one city in the States where one can be oneself, this is it. A magic City, one never gets tired of, walking the hills up and down. I always felt at home there. It’s no wonder my artistic life would begin there as I felt freer than in France. First I was a self taught artist with live models at the Presidio and then studied for 2 years at the art department of City College of S.F. Back in Paris I studied at night at the Beaux Arts. Even though I did accomplish a certain number of pieces with charcoal, sanguine, oil or collage on board in a more classical way, I still consider art during those years as a past time. It is only in 1997 that my decision to become a professional artist was made and that the need to do it every day became a necessity to my life. At this time, soft pastel, used a few times before, became my favorite medium because of its sensual and soft touch while using my fingers. In the same time, I also became a colorist.

From 1997 to 2001 I was doing still life. At that time objects were still represented as a whole for me, they, as such, represented the origins of our human civilizations and I was feeling that they had to have their own existence even though I used them in contemporary backgrounds. From 1997 to 1999, the first style called “geometric background” set still life with geometric shapes so much so that they would mix together and harmonize through colors. The second style, from 1999 to 2000, called “black backgrounds” emphasized the lighted side while the shadow part disappeared little by little into the black paper. This light without which we would not be alive, this light without which we would go back to darkness. The third style I called the “cezanne touch” where each brush of color harmonizes which the others to give the volume and intensity needed in the painting.

In 2000, I met the great English portraitist, Ken Paine, who would influence my way of painting. I love the strength in his paintings and especially in his pastel portraits. Once you have met him, you can never forget his look, his charisma and his English humor while teaching. At the time I met him I wanted to be freer in my paintings as I still felt too much structure in the different styles I mentioned above. Ken gave me this possibility. He used to say to me “one should be able to paint with his body and his soul”. When he saw I was paying so much attention to what he had been saying, he said to me “Go for it now as you are ready”, “don’t be afraid”... This brought me to expressive portraits suggesting the body. I was not looking for a finished portrait as one expects but rendering the other part of the face, the invisible part that you don’t really see, but which is, maybe, far more important...

At the same time I was doing portraits, a new style came up in 2003 which I called “lyric constructions”. In its free shapes done with one continuous line, visual effects with colors happened letting the imagination free itself while other times one could see part of still lifes, flowers, faces etc...while yet other times the line speaks for itself and colors play with each other.

I resumed oil painting during the summer of 2005. I felt that I was loosening up and that I could understand the “lâcher-prise” Ken talked about. The new abstract approach seems to contain all of the above styles even though I am more in the suggestion of visual shapes or their outline. With them I mix writing and geometric shapes along with color abstraction. Other times, one can see only colors together trying to harmonize with each other and giving the movements needed to the life of the painting. N.M. Mathieu (November 2006)

Art Critics

“I came up to her atelier during the artists’ open door studio of the 13 th arrondissement in Paris in 2003. She had told me that there were 4 floors to go up and not to worry to come along because of my old age. But god, I don’t regret one second having done so. I was overcome by what I discovered and I stayed a fairly long time looking at everything I could in every corner of her place. Discovering N. M. Mathieu’s work was a real surprise to me, seeing such a rich and diversified show and, especially, such an evolvement in so little time. And it is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I encourage her to keep going and never stop in this fantastic and fructuous search”. Mme Médioni, Paris, 2003

Donations

July 2010 - Donation of a drawing study of a cat's face to Brigitte Bardot's Foundation in Paris.

April 2010 - Donation of a drawing called "Sitting live model" realized with blue pastel pencil to the Maison des Artistes à Paris for an auction whose profits will go to the Haitian artists.

January 2006 – The pastel called "the blue ceramic and the orange” with geometric background was given to the Ligue du Cancer in Paris to Professor Pujol, Chairman of the cancer research foundation. It is hanging in the reception area at 14 rue Corvisart in Paris, 13 th.

September 2005 – Donation of 4 small oil paintings to the English College, Atlantic College – which allows certain students to study at College level – which was organized by François Paul-Cavallier in Paris, psychoanalyst and art lover who studied there years ago. Their actions are at a world level and Nelson Mandela is one of their honouree member. These works are on auction on the website www.artofpeace.uwcnetwork.org since 2006.