Painting Ile-De-France

As soon as you open the window, your eye is caught by William Himo's paintings and colors. Once you've crossed the threshold, you won't be able to resist the urge to take up painting yourself. In addition to Himo's signature canvases, you'll find everything you need to indulge your passion for painting, drawing and watercolours: canvases, easels, brushes... And you'll find plenty of inspiration, with forests, parks and monuments... all the ideal landscapes to immortalize on paper or canvas some of the sweet hours spent in the city of kings.

For nearly three centuries, this family business has been creating pastel shades, a material of choice for painting enthusiasts. The Maison du Pastel, which is the oldest pastel factory in the world, has been awarded the label Entreprise du patrimoine vivant.

History. The history of "La Maison du Pastel" begins with the 18th century, at the time of the great vogue for pastel painting. Founded in 1720, it settled around 1760 in Versailles, then in Paris on rue Saint-Honoré, and settled in 1766 in the Marais, rue Grenier-Saint-Lazare, where it remained until 1912. In the 19th century, this establishment in the name of Macle sold all items for drawing. The manufacture of pastels is part of the house's activity. Around 1865, a pharmacist who loved painting, Henri Roché Sr., took over the establishment and collaborated with an old craftsman in order to make pastel an incomparable painting technique. In 1878, he was at the head of what is now called the Maison du Pastel. Since 1887, he has been offering a collection of around 500 shades. Henri Roché's "à la gerbe" pastels were then sold internationally. In 1906, his son joined him and they moved the Maison du Pastel to the current address, 20 rue Rambuteau. At the death of Henri Roché père, Henri Roché fils relocated the production workshops while keeping a shop in Paris and developed 1,650 pastel shades. He was then in contact with the greatest names in painting (Simon Bussy, Marcel Baschet, Edouard Vuillard...). After ten years of research, he created the "pastelo", a medium that is neither gouache nor oil paint, but that can be spread with a brush. After his death in 1948, his widow, then his daughters, in particular Huberte, took over the House, which found the support of new artists (Serge Poliakoff, Jacques Aubelle, François Barbâtre...). It is a little cousin who takes over in 2000 and relaunches 300 nuances in two years. In 2012, it launched the "Petits Roché", a new range of half-sticks.

The products. A collection of 1,201 pastels available in nine gradient ranges. Each range is composed of pure colours that are graded to white, black, or crossed with another colour.

For eleven years, Delphine Priollaud, ARCHITECT architect of training, has taught drawing, painting, watercolour and all decorative painting techniques. From the awakening of the child to the plastic arts in preparation for entrance competitions of art schools, by the adult wishing to be happy, everything is being done to enable the student to flourish and learn in an atmosphere conducive to creation and pictorial work. Located in a bright space overlooking a garden and located in the city centre, the Salamandre Atelier is a real shop shop. Delphine Priollaud also performs, on order, paintings, furniture and painted furniture, frescoes, eye-to-eye and murals according to modern and modern techniques. The equipment necessary for drawing, painting and executing patinas and decorative coatings is available for sale at the workshop.

Porcelain painting is an art that demands thoroughness and patience. Florence Vialard, in his shop-shop Le Chambrelain, will communicate to you his passion and reveal many secrets. Family history and atypical route for this former computer engineer who has swapped the keyboards for the brushes 15 years to follow the footsteps of his mom. Round brushes, putoiser, threading, brushes, oxides, wide choice of pigments… are used in traditional methods to decorate straight porcelain pieces from Limoges. Florence offers courses all levels (from 14 years old) but also visits and sales of handmade pieces in its lovely boutique.

An association of volunteers, passionate about painting, and more particularly that of Sisley, had the initiative to develop this small space wisely. There is a retrospective of the life of the painter and his works and a shop corner and bookstore. A booklet has been edited to guide visitors «in the footsteps of Sisley». The places where the painter asked his bridge in Moret are indicated on a plan and reproductions of his paintings allow to compare today's Moret and that of Sisley. This booklet for sale for 2 € is a clever way to make an interesting walk. A welcoming and warm welcome.