Amazing art in the heart of Bern

March 7, 2023, 1 Comment

Bern may not seem like a watery city (there’s no lake, for example) but it is surrounded on three sides by the River Aare. And it was the light on and around the river that inspired Jane Fuhrimann to paint her wonderful pictures. But not just the Aare, also the lakes all across Switzerland, which isn’t surprising as they are too beautiful not to be painted.

Before I wax too lyrical, I must confess a vested interest: Jane and I worked together for years at Stauffacher Bookshop in Bern and she is one of my oldest friends in the city. She is still a bookseller, though now only part time so that she has time for her art. With her latest art exhibition opening this week in Bern, I asked Jane about her passion.

‘I have always painted and sketched but never shown my work before now. Since childhood, I’ve been interested in colour and design. Then last year I spent a month in Cornwall doing an upholstery course and the colours of the sea and landscape there inspired me to pick up a paintbrush again when I got home. I took photos of the light near the river and at the lakes last summer, then began a series of paintings based on these.’

‘I love colour and the way colours relate to each other as well as light. Both of these are important in my work.’ I agree Jane, but for me, it’s not just the colours that are captivating but the style of painting, known as pointillism. An exhibition in Lausanne last summer provided more inspiration, this time from Archille Laugé and his use of pointillism to capture the light.

But it is time consuming to paint a large canvas with hundreds of tiny dots. Each one of Jane’s paintings in this style is the product of hours of concentration, and love. However, as the landscape above shows, not all of her art is pointillist. On a technical note, she uses acrylics on canvas and almost all of her work is framed using a floating frame.

You can see Jane’s paintings at a special exhibition in Bern. From 11 March to 29 April, Stauffacher is showcasing her work in the bookshop, and all the paintings will be on sale. Or you can check out her Instagram page for more pics and info.