In addition to her editorial, curatorial and design work, Vanessa Françoise Rothe is a fine artist exhibiting the last 18 years alongside the Nations top artists in galleries, art clubs, as well as Museums. She is an official Artist Member of the famed Salmagundi Art Club New York, a Signature member of the American Impressionist Society and served as its Educational Director for 4 years.
Vanessa has had classical fine art training at Laguna College of Art and Design and has studied direct with professional artists. She was named one of the "Artists for a new century from the Bennington Center of the Arts in 2012 early on. Rothe began her art career with three successful solo exhibitions at Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, along with an impressive list of group shows including: Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, The Laguna Beach Art Museum, the Annual American Impressionist Society Exhibitions, The California Museum of Fine Art, Artists for a New Century at The Bennington Center for the Arts, Galerie DDG and Galerie Prince de L'oeil in Paris, France, The Salmagundi Club New York, J. Willott Gallery, and California Art Club exhibitions. She has exhibited and sold her 3 works at Arcadida Contemporary during the Americans in Paris exhibition 2018. After exhibiting at Wendt Gallery for 4 years from 2003-2007 she then opened and currently owns Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery at 418 Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach, exhibiting alongside top International artists and and at many exhibitions and events worldwide. The VRFA Gallery is now celebrating its 10th year. She is founder of the 'Americans in Paris' wolrdwide Exhibitions and workshops , as well as Realism Without Borders art events and exhibitions.
Rothe is honored to have been invited and attended as a participating artist and writer to an important seminar in Venice Italy "The Alpine Fellowship" where she discussed current art, philosophy and technology with some of the top writers, art historians and critics, painters and poets of today, including Ian McEwan, John Burnside, Alan Lawson, Odd Nerdrum and Roger Scruton.
Vanessa Françoise Rothe grew up in the artists colony of Laguna Beach, CA, the daughter to a well known German clothing designer to the Stars, Detlev Rothe, and her French mother Jacqueline Ricaud. She received top scholarships to study Business/Marketing and French Literature at the University of San Diego, University of CA, Irvine, and later studied Fine Art at the Laguna College of Art and Design receiving top honors throughout. In addition to traditional schooling, she has had the opportunity to study at fine art ateliers in France and Italy as well as directly with many professional contemporary painters.
Rothe has been fortunate to exhibit alongside the Nations most well known artists for over 18 years along with running her fine art gallery, acting as West Coast Editor for Fine Art Connoisseur magazine for 16 years and taking care of her family with two boys. She has had three successful solo exhibitions at Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, along with an impressive list of group shows at Wendt and others, including: Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, The Laguna Beach Art Museum, The Salmagundi Club in New York City, Arcadia Contemporary in Los Angeles, Galerie Prince de l'Oeil in Paris, The California Museum of Fine Art, Artists for a New Century at The Bennington Center for the Arts, Gallerie DDG Paris, The Salamagundi Club New York, J. Willott Gallery, California Art Club exhibitions and the Annual American Impressionist Society Exhibitions where she is a Signature Member. After exhibiting at WENDT GALLERY in Laguna Beach for 4 years, she now shows currently at her own Fine Art Gallery at VRFA Gallery at 418 Ocean ave in Laguna Beach and curates Fine Art exhibitions for she and her artists worldwide.
Influenced by a blend of classical traditional representational art and Impressionist works by masters such as Sargent, Sorolla, Wendt, Payne, Manet, Cassatt, Casas, Repin and Suvorov as well as modern master friends such as Scott Burdick, Susan Lyon, Jeremy Lipking, Michelle Dunaway, and Ray Roberts, she takes the essence of a subject and captures its charm with the use of color, shadows, and light. The work is representational or realist as its base and then she adds thicker visable brush strokes and pleasing color combinations to form a realist yet slightly impressionistic style which her collectors admire. Her subjects include the beautiful landscapes of France, Switzerland and Italy, the allure of historic cities such as Paris and Venice, classic California seascapes with a fewe still life's, as well as new figurative work.
Rothe is proud to be sponsored by Savoir Faire, Sennelier, Isabey, Artfix, Raphael with Pierre Yann Guidetti. www.savoirfaire.com
and RayMar fine art panels by Emily and Catherine Raymar.
Vanessa Rothe is the Author/Artist to a new series of art instructional books published by the leader in art instructional books, Walter Foster Publishing entitled "An Art School Approach to Oils" which can be found at barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com and she teaches atelier and plein air workshops in California and Europe.
Vanessa has had classical fine art training at Laguna College of Art and Design and has studied direct with professional artists. She was named one of the "Artists for a new century from the Bennington Center of the Arts in 2012 early on. Rothe began her art career with three successful solo exhibitions at Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, along with an impressive list of group shows including: Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, The Laguna Beach Art Museum, the Annual American Impressionist Society Exhibitions, The California Museum of Fine Art, Artists for a New Century at The Bennington Center for the Arts, Galerie DDG and Galerie Prince de L'oeil in Paris, France, The Salmagundi Club New York, J. Willott Gallery, and California Art Club exhibitions. She has exhibited and sold her 3 works at Arcadida Contemporary during the Americans in Paris exhibition 2018. After exhibiting at Wendt Gallery for 4 years from 2003-2007 she then opened and currently owns Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery at 418 Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach, exhibiting alongside top International artists and and at many exhibitions and events worldwide. The VRFA Gallery is now celebrating its 10th year. She is founder of the 'Americans in Paris' wolrdwide Exhibitions and workshops , as well as Realism Without Borders art events and exhibitions.
Rothe is honored to have been invited and attended as a participating artist and writer to an important seminar in Venice Italy "The Alpine Fellowship" where she discussed current art, philosophy and technology with some of the top writers, art historians and critics, painters and poets of today, including Ian McEwan, John Burnside, Alan Lawson, Odd Nerdrum and Roger Scruton.
Vanessa Françoise Rothe grew up in the artists colony of Laguna Beach, CA, the daughter to a well known German clothing designer to the Stars, Detlev Rothe, and her French mother Jacqueline Ricaud. She received top scholarships to study Business/Marketing and French Literature at the University of San Diego, University of CA, Irvine, and later studied Fine Art at the Laguna College of Art and Design receiving top honors throughout. In addition to traditional schooling, she has had the opportunity to study at fine art ateliers in France and Italy as well as directly with many professional contemporary painters.
Rothe has been fortunate to exhibit alongside the Nations most well known artists for over 18 years along with running her fine art gallery, acting as West Coast Editor for Fine Art Connoisseur magazine for 16 years and taking care of her family with two boys. She has had three successful solo exhibitions at Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, along with an impressive list of group shows at Wendt and others, including: Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction, The Laguna Beach Art Museum, The Salmagundi Club in New York City, Arcadia Contemporary in Los Angeles, Galerie Prince de l'Oeil in Paris, The California Museum of Fine Art, Artists for a New Century at The Bennington Center for the Arts, Gallerie DDG Paris, The Salamagundi Club New York, J. Willott Gallery, California Art Club exhibitions and the Annual American Impressionist Society Exhibitions where she is a Signature Member. After exhibiting at WENDT GALLERY in Laguna Beach for 4 years, she now shows currently at her own Fine Art Gallery at VRFA Gallery at 418 Ocean ave in Laguna Beach and curates Fine Art exhibitions for she and her artists worldwide.
Influenced by a blend of classical traditional representational art and Impressionist works by masters such as Sargent, Sorolla, Wendt, Payne, Manet, Cassatt, Casas, Repin and Suvorov as well as modern master friends such as Scott Burdick, Susan Lyon, Jeremy Lipking, Michelle Dunaway, and Ray Roberts, she takes the essence of a subject and captures its charm with the use of color, shadows, and light. The work is representational or realist as its base and then she adds thicker visable brush strokes and pleasing color combinations to form a realist yet slightly impressionistic style which her collectors admire. Her subjects include the beautiful landscapes of France, Switzerland and Italy, the allure of historic cities such as Paris and Venice, classic California seascapes with a fewe still life's, as well as new figurative work.
Rothe is proud to be sponsored by Savoir Faire, Sennelier, Isabey, Artfix, Raphael with Pierre Yann Guidetti. www.savoirfaire.com
and RayMar fine art panels by Emily and Catherine Raymar.
Vanessa Rothe is the Author/Artist to a new series of art instructional books published by the leader in art instructional books, Walter Foster Publishing entitled "An Art School Approach to Oils" which can be found at barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com and she teaches atelier and plein air workshops in California and Europe.
ROTHE'S ARTISTS STATEMENT:
Creating a Lasting Impression
My art education is both from classical training in art schools and ateliers as well as internships from professional painters, often working on location. I feel very lucky to have many successful artist friends who have helped me in my career as they recognized my passion for art and willingness to work hard at it. Both avenues have helped mold my style to be traditional and realist as the base and yet slightly painterly and often alla prima. My work is classified as Realist Impressionism.
I enjoy the subtle changes in value and color within each thing I paint, such as in a field of fresh cut wheat, where there are at least four main shades of gold and adore mixing them and laying them down side by side to build the volume. Oil allows me to layer colors that are similar next to each other and even on top, allowing for some semi controlled mixing of the two colors to form a third that is often an accidental and beautiful. They are rich and allow me to create the contrast I enjoy seeing in nature. With oils I can give importance to an aspect of the scene I most want to convey by highlighting them with a thicker stroke, adding more light or higher contrast. I continue to paint in watercolors on location when I travel, finding much beauty in their transitions and flow. Sketches are always a great color study along with a photo.
With my history as a graphic designer, composition is also something of note to me and plays an important role in my works. For example how a mountain ridge is disrupted by a tree breaking the line. The graphic layout and simplicity of a silloette with a subtle atmospheric sky is pleasing to my eye as the subject is simple and stands out. Or a still life with negative and positive space and how that leads the eye.
My work is simply about capturing a moment, the way I saw it or experienced it. Whether it’s a golden wheat field where the wind blows and the tall reeds sway in the sunlight, an Italian Riviera port when the light brightens the side of multicolored boats, or the cool quietness sitting under the shade of rows of platan trees as the sun flickers between long purple shadows at the end of the day or a quiet chair in a room. Its about what I remember, or saw as most important part of that moment. The works are of my favorite places in the world at my favorite times of day. I have had the privilege to travel the world and see and experience many incredibly beautiful places and... If I can capture those times, those moments where I stood, and make a lasting impression on canvas with the richness of oils, then Ive succeeded in sharing an amazing thing.
Production
Being in front of my subject is a crucial part of my work. Whether I create the work on location or take a photo, make a small watercolor sketch of that moment or scene, its important to me to have experienced it first hand. My works are done in the studio and on location. If Im working on location they are completed within a few hours as Im usually trying to capture a time of day that changes quickly with nature and the sun as it moves changes the shadows. If Im completing a studio piece, I normally will have taken a photo and done a small oil, watercolor or pencil sketch of the scene with notes. Some works in the studio take only an hour or two plein air or painted alla prima, and some will take up to 10-20 hours to complete. I work on a primed canvas or linen, stretched or on Raymar panel. I prime my canvas’s with an additional mixed beige/brown color similar to that of old raw linen. I enjoy when it can be seen thru the works and creates a neutral base for the colors. My works vary in size from a small 8x10 to large 36x48". My subjects include California scenes, Provincial and Tuscan landscapes, Paris city scenes, Interiors, cafe scenes, the riviera with colorful ports and boats, still lifes, some florals, and ocean scences from around the world. I am currently working on the figure and have been adding the figure to my landscapes as well as starting some portraits.
A World of Inspiration
I have been fortunate to have traveled half the globe admiring art museums and works and have been mainly influenced and drawn to traditional representational and Impressionist fine art. I admire the drawing skills, layers of slightly varied values and lively colors in Sargent and Sorollas works, the value tones and brush stokes of Edgar Payne, the simplicity in the drawings and strokes of Manet and Degas, the colors and overall harmony of Monet and Van Gogh, and the subjects of the Impressionist / Belle Epoque times, as well as to day, agreeing that beauty that can be found outdoors and in simple things.
I feel my French heritage plays a large roll in the inspiration of my works, mainly in subject. I admired my French grandfather François Ricaud very much. He taught me at a young age, the language, culture, art and the importance of living "La Vie en Rose" and often recounted stories of summers he spent in Provence, things he did, and described the scenes I now visit today and capture on my canvas. Much of my passion for my art stems from that French family, French history and from general art history, which I later studied, along with business, graphics, and French Literature. In addition, I grew up the daughter to a fashion designer/antique dealer to the stars in the art community of Laguna Beach and was painting on silk and selling creations at age 8. Ive been passionate about art all my life, but only in the recent years have I been able to dedicate myself to it as my main career.
LINK TO WORKS BY VANESSA ROTHE
Vanessa Rothe is proud to be sponsored by SENNELIER oil paints, Fabriano Paper, and Raphael/Isabey brushes by Savoir Faire fine art materials, as well as a new sponsorship by RAYMAR fine art canvas and linen panels.
Creating a Lasting Impression
My art education is both from classical training in art schools and ateliers as well as internships from professional painters, often working on location. I feel very lucky to have many successful artist friends who have helped me in my career as they recognized my passion for art and willingness to work hard at it. Both avenues have helped mold my style to be traditional and realist as the base and yet slightly painterly and often alla prima. My work is classified as Realist Impressionism.
I enjoy the subtle changes in value and color within each thing I paint, such as in a field of fresh cut wheat, where there are at least four main shades of gold and adore mixing them and laying them down side by side to build the volume. Oil allows me to layer colors that are similar next to each other and even on top, allowing for some semi controlled mixing of the two colors to form a third that is often an accidental and beautiful. They are rich and allow me to create the contrast I enjoy seeing in nature. With oils I can give importance to an aspect of the scene I most want to convey by highlighting them with a thicker stroke, adding more light or higher contrast. I continue to paint in watercolors on location when I travel, finding much beauty in their transitions and flow. Sketches are always a great color study along with a photo.
With my history as a graphic designer, composition is also something of note to me and plays an important role in my works. For example how a mountain ridge is disrupted by a tree breaking the line. The graphic layout and simplicity of a silloette with a subtle atmospheric sky is pleasing to my eye as the subject is simple and stands out. Or a still life with negative and positive space and how that leads the eye.
My work is simply about capturing a moment, the way I saw it or experienced it. Whether it’s a golden wheat field where the wind blows and the tall reeds sway in the sunlight, an Italian Riviera port when the light brightens the side of multicolored boats, or the cool quietness sitting under the shade of rows of platan trees as the sun flickers between long purple shadows at the end of the day or a quiet chair in a room. Its about what I remember, or saw as most important part of that moment. The works are of my favorite places in the world at my favorite times of day. I have had the privilege to travel the world and see and experience many incredibly beautiful places and... If I can capture those times, those moments where I stood, and make a lasting impression on canvas with the richness of oils, then Ive succeeded in sharing an amazing thing.
Production
Being in front of my subject is a crucial part of my work. Whether I create the work on location or take a photo, make a small watercolor sketch of that moment or scene, its important to me to have experienced it first hand. My works are done in the studio and on location. If Im working on location they are completed within a few hours as Im usually trying to capture a time of day that changes quickly with nature and the sun as it moves changes the shadows. If Im completing a studio piece, I normally will have taken a photo and done a small oil, watercolor or pencil sketch of the scene with notes. Some works in the studio take only an hour or two plein air or painted alla prima, and some will take up to 10-20 hours to complete. I work on a primed canvas or linen, stretched or on Raymar panel. I prime my canvas’s with an additional mixed beige/brown color similar to that of old raw linen. I enjoy when it can be seen thru the works and creates a neutral base for the colors. My works vary in size from a small 8x10 to large 36x48". My subjects include California scenes, Provincial and Tuscan landscapes, Paris city scenes, Interiors, cafe scenes, the riviera with colorful ports and boats, still lifes, some florals, and ocean scences from around the world. I am currently working on the figure and have been adding the figure to my landscapes as well as starting some portraits.
A World of Inspiration
I have been fortunate to have traveled half the globe admiring art museums and works and have been mainly influenced and drawn to traditional representational and Impressionist fine art. I admire the drawing skills, layers of slightly varied values and lively colors in Sargent and Sorollas works, the value tones and brush stokes of Edgar Payne, the simplicity in the drawings and strokes of Manet and Degas, the colors and overall harmony of Monet and Van Gogh, and the subjects of the Impressionist / Belle Epoque times, as well as to day, agreeing that beauty that can be found outdoors and in simple things.
I feel my French heritage plays a large roll in the inspiration of my works, mainly in subject. I admired my French grandfather François Ricaud very much. He taught me at a young age, the language, culture, art and the importance of living "La Vie en Rose" and often recounted stories of summers he spent in Provence, things he did, and described the scenes I now visit today and capture on my canvas. Much of my passion for my art stems from that French family, French history and from general art history, which I later studied, along with business, graphics, and French Literature. In addition, I grew up the daughter to a fashion designer/antique dealer to the stars in the art community of Laguna Beach and was painting on silk and selling creations at age 8. Ive been passionate about art all my life, but only in the recent years have I been able to dedicate myself to it as my main career.
LINK TO WORKS BY VANESSA ROTHE
Vanessa Rothe is proud to be sponsored by SENNELIER oil paints, Fabriano Paper, and Raphael/Isabey brushes by Savoir Faire fine art materials, as well as a new sponsorship by RAYMAR fine art canvas and linen panels.
Below: Live interview with Rothe on the business of Vanessa Rothe Fine Art and how her career got started- by Sentient Academy