Isa
D'Arleans
The Rover's Years
(1996 - 2000)
Beloved Thierry Rautureau, nicknamed The Chef In The Hat was the Executive Chef and owner of restaurants, Rover's, Loulay Kitchen and Bar and Luc Bistro in Seattle, Washington.
Rautureau has won various awards including the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 1998, and has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole by the French government.
Remembering the Rover's Years
with fondness and nostalgia
Thierry’s Rover's was not only the most memorable and dazzling experience for one’s palate and appetite, but the restaurant is still fondly remembered for its sophisticated, impeccable service and cozy atmosphere.
Isa D’Arleans’ early paintings, from the whimsical Up Side Down Circus series (1998), graced the walls of Rover's for its brilliant 25 years. Having dinner at Rover's was a combination of sensory fireworks for the taste buds and the eye, a transcending experience that the customer would never forget.
The "Raoul Dufy" Years
1995 - 1998
Early in my career, I developed a style that was complicated to create and very much my own. It involved wall paint, acrylic paint, nails and different types of varnish. Each painting was an experiment. I never knew what sort of chemical reaction would happen on the canvas – whether it be texture or beading paint. From there, I created from the heart, focusing on lightness, on joy. My collaboration with Thierry at Rovers was a lot of fun because the focal point had to be food. In my mind, the paintings had to make the room smile.
Art of the Month, The Insider, 1996
"...Isa has a style reminiscent of the artistic movement in France in the 20's...collectors rave how the images actually project spirit and emotion, Isa paints places where you want to be and take you there...."
The "Circus" Influence
1998 - 2000
'Two years later, I started working more traditionally with paint because my focus became increasingly about relating messages through shapes and colors (it still is). In 1998, "The Up Side Down Circus” series was born - 65 paintings in total and an allegory to keeping balance in the challenging world we were experiencing.'
Joe Heim for the Seattle Times, March 1998
"....Using vivid colors and fantastical collage-like images, D'Arleans style is reminiscent of artists as Marc Chagall and Amadeo Modigliani.....D'Arleans says she loves movement and color, and indeed there is a dizzying kaleidoscopic feel to her work, look at the paintings long enough and they begin to draw you in..."