Catherine JOYEUX Versailles… the paintbrush and the quill
by Gwénaëlle de Carné Rennes, 5th July 2016 (edited and translated)

Versailles… Le moulin de la Reine… This is where it all started! A small canvas painted with passion ! Catherine Joyeux was going to give it to her uncle… On the way back : an ice-cream van… an American man ! He saw the oil painting left on the counter for a minute. He liked it. He bought it !
What about her uncle ? On the next day, Catherine went back to the windmill. The calmness, the old trees, the light of the moment, the past, time regained, an impression that the whole park belonged to her! An indescribable emotion ! The meeting of a soul and a place!
Catherine was fifteen years old. Her teachers were thinking of a career in sciences for her, which was against her budding vocation. Her determination then became stronger : she would become a painter !
Nicolas Carréga, her ally, encouraged her. Catherine Joyeux remembers the canvasses of her master, close to the 1970s Soulages […]
Catherine then joined the Fine Art School of Sèvres where she chose tapestry. At the Saint-Cyr workshop, with Pierre Daquin, then at « l’Atelier 3 » with Peter Schonwald and Frédérique Bachellerie, Catherine became the interpretor of famous painters : Brachet, Huguette Arthus-Bertrand, Andrée Vilar, Cathelin, Jansem, Sartou, Carréga, Bardone, Olivier Brice.
At Christian Dior, avenue Montaigne, she became acquainted with luxury : perfection, requirements, style. All that beautiful things require. With enthusiasm she took part in the creation of sets for Spring – Summer, Autumn- Winter collections and was filled with wonder at « making something so beautiful with not much » : cardboads, glue, special effects with paint, ideas and talent !

The wonders of watercolours
At the same time, Catherine Joyeux was seized by a passion for watercolours. Like an adventure, it is always full of surprises !
« Terre des Arts » gallery in Paris noticed her work and exhibited it in France and abroad. Her watercolours were even sold in Japan ! In twenty-five years, links of trust and friendship were built. As time went by, Catherine felt the urge to move from paper to canvas, the desire to rediscover in oils and then acrylics the joys of watercolours, the urge to find other paths, to let herself be led by the paintbrush towards abstract. Georges Mathieu, master in lyrical abstraction, Alechinsky, Tapies, and later Fabienne Verdier… The path was laid out !

The power of words, the strength of the strokes…
Chinon, 1994… Rabelais and an exhibition to celebrate the 500th birthday of the writer. On this day, a friend talked with passion as if she had lived with him, shared his life. The extraordinary power of words ! Later on, she gave Catherine old manuscripts. Between the writing and the painting, the power of shapes and colours, Catherine held the yarn to a story to come.
Bécherel, 1996… An exhibition in the city of books. Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, Ernest Renan, Colette… live through their manuscripts.

The quill is to writers what the paintbrush is to painters, the mere extension of their hand, their thoughts.

 Catherine Joyeux – artist and painter born in Versailles 

– Graduated top of her class from the Applied Arts School of Sèvres.
– Decoration workshop at Christian Dior, avenue Montaigne, Paris.
– Lissier at the workshop: Atelier de Saint-Cyr at Pierre Daquin.
– Lissier at the workshop: Atelier 3 with Peter Schonwald and Frédérique Bachellerie.
– Collaboration with contemporary painters: Brachet, Huguette Arthur Bertrand, Andrée Villar, Olivier Brice, André Brasilier, Cathelin, Jansem, Sartou, Carréga, Bardonne…
– Lissier for classical tapestry work for Aubusson workshops.

National and international exhibitions and prizes 

Group exhibitions:
– Gisors, Beauvais, Pontoise, Paris, Enghien, Menton.
– Watercolour exhibition: Grand Palais, Paris.
– Exhibition: Salon d’Automne, Grand Palais, Paris.
– Exhibition: Salon de Rambouillet, avant-garde prize.
– Salon des salons d’Art : Art exhibition in Versailles.
– Watercolour exhibition in Montgermont, 2^nd prize in 1999.
– Exhibition: Salon Écriture, Hôtel Dassault Rond-Point Champs Elysées, Paris.
– Exhibition: Salon Scriptura, Lyon.
– Saint-Malo festival.
– Exhibition: Salon Sm’art, Aix en Provence.
– Exhibition: Salon Art3f, Rennes.
– Guest of honour at the Thorigné Fouillard exhibition
– Courant d’Art exhibition Cancale
– Biennale de Saint Brieuc

Personal exhibitions :
– Gallery: Galerie du Chapitre, personal exhibition, Rennes.
– Exhibition: Regard d’Écrivains, 11th celebration of Bécherel.
– Gallery: Bleu Sonatine, Dinan.
– Gallery: Tournez la page, Combourg.
– Saint-Briac: tribute to Colette. Prize of the town of Saint-Briac.
– Cultural center « Juliette Drouet » of Fougères. Two paintings were bought by the Theatre.
– Mural fresco and theater sets : Château du Moulin Vert Etrépagny (Eure).
– Three appearances on the TV programme « Thé ou Café » by Catherine Ceylac. The TV channel bought a painting.
– Exhibition: 18 Quai, during Les Têtes de l’Art, Rennes.
– Cultural centre Jean Rochefort Saint Lunaire
– Rocamine Dinan
– Grand Hôtel des Thermes, festival radio classique Saint Malo
– Gallery l’Ivre de l’Art, Bécherel
– Grand opening of the DS Store Saint Malo

Permanent exhibitions :
– Gallery: Terre des Arts, personal exhibition, Paris.
– Lithographies stored by the « Département des Estampes » at the National Library in Paris.

Temporary exhibitions :
– Gallery: Terre des Arts, Lyon, Cannes, Corse

International exhibitions:
– New-York (watercolour painting Bronze medal)
– Tokyo
– Sweden
– Norway
– Florida.

– Artworks FOR SALE on: http://www.saatchiart.com/joyeux