Tuesday, June 8, 2010

EDWARD CARUANA DINGLI (1876-1950)

Edward Caruana Dingli (1876-1950)
Post Cards of Malta

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

DORANNE ALDEN (1963b.)

 Doranne Alden
Doranne Alden is a professional graphic designer and artist. As an artist, her preferred painting medium is watercolour based media. Doranne was born in Sliema in 1963, and after completing her education, studied art for a number of years at the School of Art in Malta under the guidance of Joseph L. Mallia (1937- ). She also followed other Design related courses, including Interior Design, but chose to work as a Graphic Designer and Artist.

Contemporaneously she frequented a painting group led by Joy Micallef Farndell(1924-), an exceptional watercolourist. In Malta she worked as a graphic designer for over fifteen years with several major advertising agencies and eventually as a freelance designer. Over the years she gleaned experience in several aspects of design, but it was during the years as a freelance designer that Doranne produced a series of original postcards: ‘Details of Malta’, posters: ‘Glimpses of Malta’ and personalised photographic calendars. Inevitably this led her to launch her own advertising agency: ‘Details Design Ltd’, along with a partner up to 1995.

In 1996 she settled in Germany with her family until 2003. While living there she held drawing and watercolour classes for adults. She also became an active member of an art group of abstract art organised by German artist Frau Renate Botzenhardt. She lived in Bavaria, she participated in joint and collective exhibitions. Her three major exhibitions were two solos: the first at the Gasthaus Zur Post in Wessoburn, Germany, while the second solo was held at the Art Hotel in Vienna, Austria and: a joint exhibition held at the Town Hall in Tutzing, Bavaria.

In 2006 Doranne won first prize in the watercolour section in the Silver Palette Competition organised biannually by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Her third solo was held in December 2008, at a VR-Bank near Passau and and most recent solo was in 2009 at the premises of German Maltese Circle in Valletta, Malta.
Her work has been referred to as ‘little jewels of art’ in the ‘Ammersee Kurier’; as ‘natural without being too realistic’ a phrase by Thomas Wellens in the ‘Weilheim Tablett’; Marika Azzopardi coined the epithet ‘warmth and mouth-watering mellowness’ for her fruit (pears) in the ‘Weekender’ the culture section of ‘The Times’ a local paper. Alden’s paintings form part of several private collections in Malta and overseas. One such work holds pride of place in the foyer of the Munich International School, Percha Bavaria.

Doranne Alden is the daughter of well known Maltese watercolourist Albert Caruana and is married to Simon Alden (vice president of the German-Maltese Circle).



Seb by the sea
Lost in thoughts
Apples for Barbara
Summer fruits


Flower feast
Lemons
The Courtyard Doorstep 

email:
dorart@hotmail.com