Fine Art Collector | Spring 2021

PASCALE TAURUA

SCARLETT RAVEN

The studio is a welcome upgrade from Scarlett’s humble beginnings, with many of her earlier studios lacking even electricity. Indeed, she jokes that being able to use the house toilet is a “luxury”. While painting, she dances and listens to music, adding: “It helps me to empty my mind and get into my imaginary world, or what I call the real world.” Alongside her loyal 12-year-old dog, Dalí – named after the Spanish Surrealist artist – Scarlett paints in the company of her baby son. She says: “He sits next to me on his highchair and watches me paint with acrylics and non-toxic materials. We dance and sing together. He often bursts into laughter, which is so beautiful and inspiring – he sees the beauty in everything.”

First up is the French figurative painter, whose apartment studio is located in the picturesque coastal city of Biarritz in southwestern France. Keeping Pascale company is her tiny Bichon Maltese, Louise, who also enjoys the creative process – as we soon found out. “First and foremost, I start each morning off on the right foot with a nice cup of tea, and then put on my workout clothes for an active hour-long walk along the beach,” Pascale told us. “Then I start working on my art, which can alternate between painting in oils on canvas and applying gold and silver leaf.” With Pascale commissioned by clients all over the world and boasting a packed exhibition schedule, there is rarely a quiet moment and she admits the hours pass at “breakneck” speed. She does, however, make a conscious effort to look after her mental health. She explains: “My universe is in my studio in front of a canvas. When I work in front of my easel, I stay there for two or three hours at a time before taking a tea or snack break to watch a show on YouTube, which allows me to take my mind off things. So when I come back to my painting, it is with a new look and energy.” Pascale’s studio assistant, while perhaps an unconventional recruit, is definitely enthusiastic. The artist says: “Louise – a little four-legged creature with the muzzle of a fox, tail of a pig and snow-white fur – discreetly slips into my studio and takes pleasure in trampling in my paint palette. I find her tiny footprints all over the carpet and on my bed!”

Another painter with an artistic aide is Scarlett Raven, who recently welcomed her son, Harvey. The acclaimed contemporary artist (whose fans include the Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom and the British boyband Take That) paints in her conservatory in West Sussex, where she can interact with the great outdoors. She told us: “It looks out to a big garden with trees and birds – it’s all windows, and I love it. Listening to the sound of the wind and rain makes me feel closer to nature, which is what I paint. I also love painting outside in the sun and listening to the birds and the lawnmowers in the summer. The smell of cut grass while painting in the warmth of the sun is lovely!”