88-year-old Celine makes her village shine

Gierle –At 88, Celine Van Ballaer, an icon in her village of Tielen, amazes visitors with her aquarelles at Anita Fleerackers gallery in Gierle. “A painting talent to say ‘U’ to,” assures the experienced gallery owner.

Celine Van Ballaer is a familiar face in Tielen. She is sociable, driving force of the women of KVLV, skilled in flower arranging. But her painting talent remained under the radar for a very long time. “Celine has often asked me to stop by to look at her works asking if she could participate in an exhibition,” says Anita Fleerackers, herself an artist of international renown and gallery owner in Gierle. “When I visited, Celine had a number of aquarelles displayed in her living room. With those, she really blew my socks off. They are all gems.”

Outside in nature

To her artistic talent, Celine added a great deal of stylistic knowledge. She took classes for four years with several aquarellists, such as Kris Raskin, with whom she also learned to paint silk. To perfect herself, she entered the academy in Arendonk. There she studied drawing and painting for seven years with several inspiring teachers, including Jean Leysen, a fellow villager from Tielen. For many years, Celine was a member of the Mol Aquarellists, with whom she often participated in outdoor painting in full nature. Whenever this enthusiastic group organized a group exhibition, Celine was happy to attend.

“Celine’s sources of inspiration are invariably nature, the color palette of flowers and the intensity of their colors,” Anita Fleerackers praises her work. “You smell the bouquet as it were, you walk into the gate and put yourself down for a moment at the back of the Dreef. You walk along through the Balderij and enjoy the beautiful play of colors, the playful reflection in the water. As a viewer, you feel at home among the fields under the sight of the church tower. You taste the village of Tielen that she holds close to her heart. In. many living rooms in the region, her works are cherished.”

At Anita Fleerackers Gallery, Celine will exhibit her works until the end of this June, along with John John Hoelen, Stef Janssens, Tessa Renders, Michèle Voeten, Annette Defoort, Anita Fleerackers herself and a few more house artists. The gallery is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday (except June 29) and Sunday, each time from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. (bala)

Source: Bart Lamers – The Sunday 23/06/2024