40. The Chasers Yacht Club Part One

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Big canvas with miniature faces as small as less than one centimeter. There are so many characters in this painting and it wasn’t easy to paint them all.  

The story or maybe I should say a poem?: 

“In 1973, as Picasso got swallowed whole, the cyclone formed in Bermuda Triangle, where the Chasers Yacht Club was last seen partying. In the underwater room, Pregnant Miss X chased her man, who fell in love with a mermaid. As the girls kicked-ass, under the sun a smiling shark! Nobody knows what happened next!” 

The Chaser‘s Yacht Club Part 2: “casino dans les profondeurs de l‘eau” (underwater casino)

Description of the Painting: 

Helenna Jouja’s **"The Chaser's Yacht Club Part 2: Casino Dans les Profondeurs de l'Eau"** is a vibrant and whimsical portrayal of an underwater casino, set in the vicinity of Monte Carlo. The painting bursts with color and energy, depicting a fantastical gathering of characters engaging in various activities, from gambling to dancing, all against the stunning backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea.

The **Chasers Yacht Club**, prominently displayed, serves as the central hub of the scene. Brightly colored tiers lead down to the water, where elegantly dressed figures mingle with the playful dolphins and shimmering waves. A lively orchestra provides enchanting music, while glamorous performers dance, creating a festive atmosphere. Above, helicopters hover, and figures descend with ropes, adding an element of adventure and intrigue.

The city of Monte Carlo rises majestically in the background, with its iconic buildings and vibrant skyline, further enhancing the painting's allure. The combination of underwater whimsy and urban sophistication invites viewers to immerse themselves in this enchanting world.

Story: The Chaser's Yacht Club Part 2: A Night Underwater

In the shimmering waters near Monte Carlo, an extraordinary event was unfolding at the Chaser's Yacht Club. Following their escapade in the Bermuda Triangle, the club members had transformed their yacht into an underwater casino, a bold concept that merged the thrill of gambling with the magic of the sea.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting golden rays across the water, the club's vibrant colors glowed like a beacon. Guests in dazzling outfits mingled, their laughter and music rising in harmony with the sounds of the waves. Among them was the charismatic Johmarie, who had become a legend for her daring escapades. She was the life of the party, dazzling everyone with her charm and mischief.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as two helicopters appeared above, casting shadows over the revelers. **"What’s happening?"** murmured Barbara, the ever-watchful FBI agent, who had been keeping an eye on the club's shenanigans. Her instincts tingled as she noticed a group of masked figures descending from the helicopters, ropes in hand, ready to join the extravagant gathering below.

As the mysterious intruders landed, they revealed themselves to be performers from an avant-garde circus, bringing an unexpected twist to the night. They somersaulted into the festivities, igniting excitement among the guests. The once-somber atmosphere transformed into a spectacle of acrobatics and dance, with everyone joining in the fun.

However, lurking beneath the surface, a more sinister plot began to unfold. Arven, a notorious art thief, had infiltrated the club with plans to steal the prized artifacts displayed in the underwater casino. As he weaved through the crowd, plotting his move, the music crescendoed, and the dancers twirled, oblivious to the impending heist.

Just as Arven reached for a shimmering artifact, Johmarie, with her keen eye, spotted his intentions. In a daring move, she leapt into action, rallying her friends to confront the thief. The underwater casino erupted into chaos, a whirlwind of laughter, dancing, and now, a spirited chase.

As the night unfolded, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blurred. The thrill of the heist and the joy of the celebration intertwined, creating a night that would be remembered for generations. In the depths of the casino, amidst the laughter and melodies, friendships were forged, and legends were born.

In the end, **"Casino Dans les Profondeurs de l'Eau"** became a symbol of resilience and camaraderie, reminding everyone that even in the face of danger, life is a grand adventure worth celebrating.

“Jeunes filles au piano” (English: Young Girls at the Piano,) acrylic and oil-on-canvas. 110x90cm. Replica In progress of one of the paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a French artist, a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style.

„Je reviendrai“ (I’ll be back in English), my acrylic painting on 150x100cm canvas. The creation of this painting is inspired by the true-to-life story in the year 2018, when unknown thieves stole Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Landscape painting right off the wall of Dorotheum Auction House in Vienna, Austria. Dorotheum is one of the biggest art auction houses in Vienna, similar to Christie’s Auction House, or Sotheby's, and set up like a museum.  According to the investigation of the respective authorities, the thieves took the Renoir’s Landscape painting right off the wall and put it in an ordinary shopping bag but left the painting’s frame where it was on the wall. The thieves apparently just walked away from the building unnoticed.

Well, it looks like it’s gonna be a series of paintings of an art crime.  The first was Renoir’s painting getting stolen, and this time Camille Pissarro’s painting „The Bathers„ on this painting is being stolen by two young women while the security guard, incharge of the building's security monitors, on the right side below is not seeing what is going on, perhaps busy on social medial while on duty.

Look at  the plain white female shape in Camille’s painting, it’s not supposed to be unpainted, like it's an unfinished work of art. It’s the image that detached itself from the painting, like it has come to life, like an unexplainable mystery. It’s actually the nude character on the right side beside the powder room. It’s this missing character in the painting. It shows that while Pissarro’s painting is being stolen, this nude character went to the powder room, and is on her way back to her designated place. 

I added a little bit of sarcasm in Pissarro's Last Name, as it looks very similar to the French word for toilet, "Pissoir." At the left side of the painting, near the word Pissoir, you will see a woman in yellow bending backwards pointing at the frame of Pissarro's painting as if she's shocked that the painting has gone missing. While on the floor nearby is Paul Gaugin's painting character watching the crime and so is the young girl and the rooster above Paul Cezanne's "The Card Players," which are also supposed to be guarding this place but play cards and drink acohol instead while on duty, are also unaware of the ongoing crime.

My playful imagination flowed even much further and added the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger coming from the future, borrowing two (2) paintings from the museum, thereby leaving 2 more empty frames on the wall, acting as if stating his most infamous quote, "I'll be back!"  and so I entitled this painting Je Reviendrai: the Thieves of Camille Pissarro. 

Of course, the painting is not complete without the intense feeling depicted on "The Scream" by Edvard Munch in the person of my art gallerist Hubert Thurnhofer, that is seen at the staircase at the bottom middle of the painting. "Scream" is probably my most favorite character, and I included it also in the "Thieves of Renoir," as the bald woman whose Hermes Birkin bag also has a suspected stolen canvas.

And so these are what are being depicted in this painting: some important works of old masters, which are all hand painted, drawn altogether into one beautiful painting to create a story inspired by true-to-life story. Like most of my paintings, most characters, objects, and colors are unplanned but merely products of the development of my imaginative engagement on one basic idea thereby creating a series of wonderful original stories.  

The moral lessons in this painting include the carelessness of people on valuable art; witnessing crime without reporting it immediately to the authorities; irresponsibilities of workers on duty such as drinking alcohol at work, and addiction on gambling and social media.

The Material Girl

After my first 3 attempts to paint using acrylic on small sized cardboard, i tried painting on a huge canvas. Since I was a beginner, and had avoided drawings for years,  I had no idea if I could make it. I ended up painting all the expensive things in the world, Well, the cellphone she‘s holding on her left hand used to be the most expensive cellphone at that time, haha.  I had painted here the most expensive bag, pen, crown, accessories, private jet, Bugatti and even the most expensive book written by Leonardo da Vinci that was bought for US30M dollars by Bill Gates at the auction. Then I realized something was missing she also needs to eat. Unfortunately, I only had one banana left at home. So that banana was my first still life painting, lol :D I designed her night gown with fur, and I wanted it to be silk and see-thru. I had no idea how to make it see-thru, but I solved it on my own, without reference to any painting tricks. Her face is just an imaginary face. I imagined how the most beautiful face should look like and that’s her face for me :D I was thinking that painting serious figure is just common sense. Nowadays, no one should even bother to go to school to learn how to paint. Our time is „just do it!“ For short, i did it all and I identified this painting as „The Material Girl,“ my first acrylic painting on canvas.

“To Mutti With Love!” painting of Helenna Jouja, your Filipina-Canadian international modern artist in Europe, 24x18cm acrylic on canvas.

“To Mutti With Love!” painting of Helenna Jouja, your Filipina-Canadian international modern artist in Europe, 40x30cm acrylic on canvas.

“To Mutti With Love!” painting of Helenna Jouja, your Filipina-Canadian international modern artist in Europe, 40x30cm acrylic on canvas.

“To Mutti With Love!” painting of Helenna Jouja, your Filipina-Canadian international modern artist in Europe, 40x30cm acrylic on canvas.