Art Opening of Exhibition by Local Artist Sylwia Pydych

With all the hype about the Freeride World Tour coming to town it was a real treat to head away from that and soak up a bit of art and culture at Le Vert Hotel.

Not only did we actually leave the buzz in the centre of town and head out towards the outskirts of Chamonix but we left behind the chat of extreme sports, snow conditions and the latest gear! Walking into the hotel last night for the Opening of the art exhibition by the Polish born, local artist Sylwia Pydych we entered a world of chilled lounge style music, canapes and beautiful works of art that sparked plenty of conversation.

Sylwia was born and raised on a rustic farm in the mountains of southern Poland, ans started her formal, Classical art education at the Colorado Academy of Art in Boulder, Colorado in 2004. In 2009, she was given a prestigious Exceptional Merit Award at the Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition in Washingon, D.C. Sylwia’s on-going immersion in the knowledge, skill and elegance of the old master's works, continuously inspires her to pursue a variety of techniques. Some of her more prominent influences are John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Ilia Repin, Ivan Kramskoy and Rodin.

Her life studies show a real in-depth knowledge of the figure, its anatomy, muscular structures and skeletal form. Working quite often in charcoals to create a dark and sometimes disturbing image, this is complemented in the show with some more delicate studies of the human form in ink. In addition, Sylwia has displayed some works in oil, including portraits that offer an incredible realism and really capture the mood of the subject.

The actual Opening event was due to take place between 18:00 and 21:00 however there were people coming and going throughout the evening which continued well past 22:30. There was a great atmosphere with people really getting involved with the works and loving the opportunity to speak to the artist herself.

Plus a great spread of canapes prepared by Peppered Strawberry chef Lisa Murgatroyd, it was certainly worth arriving early, as it quickly disappeared!

The exhibition will be on display in Le Vert Hotel for the next few weeks, so make sure you head down there to check it out!