Enter the dreamlike work of Fleur Palau’s oil on canvas paintings and illustrations, many of which feature rabbits and their human friends in beautiful, colorful and serene settings. To see more of her work, please visit her website.
“Summer Afternoon in Seravezza” Oil on Canvas, 16″ x 12″
I grew up surrounded by art. My mother, Mary Rose Palau, was a professional fine artist and my father, Julio Palau, was an architect. The house was full of music, paintings in progress and books. Models and students of my mother traipsed in and out of the studio which was attached to the house for painting sessions. So for me, to paint or to draw was to breathe.
“The Wedding Couple” Oil on Canvas, 34″ x 16″
I knew of no other reality than to follow my interior life of dreams and to this day, the same inspiration comes to me as technique and dream merge and I witness the transformation of color as it appears as if by magic on my palette. Often mixing the color is the thing that guides me within the realm of an already envisioned idea.
“Woman Holding a White Rabbit” Oil on Canvas, 38″ x 25″
My studies included lengthy drawing sessions from plaster casts and live models at the National Academy of Design in New York City. Nearby was the Metropolitan Museum which was my refuge and playground for many years.
“Young Girl Holding Rabbit” Oil on Canvas, 32″ x 21″
Poor me now! For lack of funds and cooperating models, I have ended up just pulling my portraits out of my imagination and very little of what I do is accomplished by observation of the natural world. Rather it is the remembrance of people and things I have seen that resurface on the canvas – sometimes I think of their own volition!
“Going Upstream” Oil on Canvas, 30″ x 20″
It isn’t so much that I “create” – it’s more what I “discover” while painting or doing a preliminary drawing that leads me to something illuminating.
“Jeanne D’arc” Oil on Canvas, 38″ x 28″
My portrait themes range from damsels of the Spanish court to Jeanne d’Arc, to a young girl holding a brown rabbit, inspired by a poem by Emily Dickinson, or Nastassya Filippovna of Dostoyevsky.
“Resting Among the Orchids” Oil on Canvas, 21″ x 23″
My Rabbit World series is another vein into which I escape and is dreamier than ever as I use the rabbit to convey mood and a certain psychic state while set in a nebulous landscape or mocking flowers. How did I come to this?
“Water for Life” Oil on Canvas, 30″ x 32″
While living in Italy, I started to include my pet rabbit in occasional landscapes, not choosing per se to create a theme, but just for fun. Living up in the mountains at the time with my son Giulio, then seven years old, our rabbit Tom was part of the family. Gradually Tom began to take a more central place in my paintings, and the rabbit theme evolved in quite a new and unexpected dimension.
“Woman Holding Gray Rabbit” Oil on Canvas, 38″ x 24″
Soon the rabbit became the theme and the landscape was almost incidental, even though I still painted outside. In retrospect, I found that this mysterious and proud animal guided my creative interior life and had opened to me a new and sometimes strange world. It was almost that through this animal, I was able to explore certain states of being that otherwise remained moot points.
Me and my rabbit Roberto
More recently, I have written and illustrated a whimsical tale entitled Roberto Rabbit’s Search for the Perfect Pizza, which at this moment is available only in mock-up form through me!
I love this Artist! What a beautiful and imaginative world she has created. The picture of her with a giant pet rabbit – Roberto…wow! Lovely artist and amazing artwork.
Hi Roopa,
Thank you so much for your comment on my work. It really means a lot. Are you an artist?
Hello Fleur! Greetings from Maryland. Yes, I am an Artist. You are very welcome to visit my website or facebook. If you are in the D.C area, please connect with me and the dinner is on me.
Hello Fleur, I love your work very much and I especially love the way you care about animals and our environment. I sent you an Email that I hope you received related to Your Mother, Mary Rose, in regard to information about her and the Pastel Artwork that I have hanging on my living room wall for over 30 years.
I would greatly appreciate some information or online links concerning her body of work, along with biographical information if possible. Thank You, [email protected]
Hi my Name is Barb and I found a drawing of a girl but in the picture it looks more like a doll and it is signed Mary Rose Palau and I am having problems finding it online can you tell me if your mom drew this it has about drove me crazy all I can seem to find is the boy and pony by her
Hi Barbara, i just saw your note. It’s April 2017! Yes, I’m sure you have a work done by my mother!
You can write to me at [email protected]
Best, Fleur
I loved your mother’s work and yet feel you have taken her work several stages further. Your work has a richness and vitality that is remarkable. Your rabbit themed landscapes shine with an appreciation for nature that seems to have been born in your earlier years and grew in your time in Italy. years ago I bought one of Mary Rose Palau’s pastel and gouache works, Girl in a Red Dress and I am saving up as eventually I want to own one of your rabbit themed works.
Dear Fleur,
I was in your mother’s class years ago. You posed for the class when you were In your early teens & I have won several ribbons for the charcoal portrait of you seated with your back to the class your head in profile. I don’t do much painting these days, but have published 3 books & am in process with the 4th. if your parents are still alive they must be very proud of you. I would appreciate hearing from you. I also have a painting I did of the view from the studio, the corner of your dad’s desk & the water beyond
Hello Jeanne,
I just saw your note! It’s April 2017! Nice to hear your thoughts. I did do a lot of posing in my teenage years.
My parents have passed away but like all f us, i have fond memories.
Thanks again for your note.
What have you published? Fiction? Art?
Hi Jeanne – I have a wonderful pastel by your Mom ( I bought it in NY at an arts fair in the 70s). The picture is 3 dolls at a table (all dressed up). I am not able to find much online about your mom. Do you know where I can find a bio for her? Thanks so much!