Artist of the Month: Claude Fourel

By Peter Laughlin

June's artist of the month, Claude Fourel, has worked over 35 years as one of the most productive and accomplished artists at Gateway Arts.  While creating high quality craft items and fine art she uses a variety of materials and techniques.  Her specialties include acrylic as well as watercolor paint on practically any surface imaginable.

Her patterned style, while often geometric, ranges in subject from flourished landscapes to animal groupings; and schools of tropical fish to her favorite people.  Any discussion of Fourel's art work must include color- lots of color!  She generously provides bright, bold colors often covering the entire surface area however large.

Fourel portrays a strong design sensibility through use of a wide range of color and line work. Fanciful groups of birds, fish, insects, other animals, flowers, people from her favorite subjects span the entire surface of her work.  Beautiful cloisonne lines define each form in harmonic repetition upon an invariably color-filled environment.  Like a stained glass window bathed in light, Fourel's work shimmers with colorful activity.

Fourel's fun and energetic personality is reflected in her expressive style.  She has a definite, distinctive style to her work, which can be recognized and distinguished from all others.  The naturally, has found many avid admirers and collectors over her career. Fourel produces highly desirable decorative, functional and fine art work for the Gateway Crafts Store, Gallery, and other venues.

Throughout her career Fourel has shown in a wide range of galleries and museums all over the North East such as the Very Special Arts Gallery in Washington DC and The Community Arts Center of Cambria County in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  In Massachusetts Fourel has been featured at The Sherril House in Jamaica Plain, Boston College, Brandeis University, The DeCordova Museum, The Chestnut Hill Mall, The Copley Place Mall, and The Gateway Gallery.