Storytelling at Work
October 04, 2022
The Digital Art of Evelyne Pouget

What follows are examples of Evelyne Pouget's digital art, inspired by the danzantes of San Miguel de Allende. Her work is an alchemical blend of photography and digital effects. Everything you see is available for purchase. Scroll down for details.

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"The world is an illusion, but you have to act as if it's real." - Krishna

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"Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts." - Albert Einstein

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"When you speak the truth, you don't have to remember anything." - Mark Twain

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"Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

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"The world is not made of atoms. It is made of stories." - Muriel Rukeyser

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"Just remain in the center, watching. And then forget that you are there." - Lao Tzu

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"Everything you need is within you." - Prem Rawat

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"The world is how you see it." - Baba Muktananda

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"What is there at this moment that you lack?" - Zen Saying

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"I have nothing to say. I am saying it. That is poetry." - John Cage

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"Awareness cures." - Fritz Perls

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"Kindness is my religion." - Dalai Lama

More About Evelyne Pouget
PougetDigital
Evelyne's pet portraits
Evelyn's people portraits
Evelyne's equine portraits

If you are interested in commissioning Evelyne's portraiture services or would like to buy any of her danzante prints, contact evelynepouget2@gmail.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

December 09, 2019
The Dream Architecture of San Miguel de Allende

One of San Miguel de Allende's remarkable qualities is it's colonial architecture. Simply walking the streets has the potential to put you in a very benevolent trance. Evelyne Pouget, painter, photographer, and digital artist brings out the best of San Miguel's architecture in the following series of digitally enhanced photographs -- all of which are available for purchase.

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"What is now proved, was once only imagined." - William Blake

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"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." - Shunryu Suzuki

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"If someone says you can't, that shows you what to do." - John Cage

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"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." - Pablo Picasso

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"I don't dream at night, I dream all day. I dream for a living."
- Steven Spielberg

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"In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd." - Miguel de Cervantes

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"The shell must break before the bird can fly." - Alfred Tennyson

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"If not you, who? If not now, when?" - Rabbi Hillel

All of the above are available as prints: framed and unframed. For more information about sizes and prices contact: mitch@ideachampions.com

San Miguel's danzantes
Evelyne's Pet Portraits

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2019
Evelyne Pouget People Portraits

If you are looking for someone to paint your portrait or the portrait of a loved one, you have come to the right place. The artist is Evelyne Pouget and she is now accepting commissions for 2020. The process for engaging her services is very simple. All you need to do is send an email to Mitch Ditkoff, her Agent/Rep (mitch@ideachampions.com), and he/me will get right back to you with all the information you need in order to decide if her portraiture services (oil pastel or oil painting) are right for you. See below for samples of her work.

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NOTE: Evelyne also specializes in pet portraits
And horse portraits

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2019
The Art & Soul of Evelyne Pouget

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Artist, Evelyne Pouget, has always followed her heart and intuition when it comes to life decisions, with serendipity playing a recurring role.

Originally from Paris, she lived in Italy, India (for a year at an ashram) and New York, before succumbing to the often referred to magic of San Miguel almost 18 years ago where she found a new direction and purpose. How she came to a life of art has its origins in the spiritual.

A self-taught artist, Pouget made her first painting in mid-life. She recalls that when she lived in Rome, she was surrounded by art and felt its influence strongly, but at the time it didnt translate to becoming an artist herself. As it turned out, that idea fell into her capable hands like a dream.

She tells the story of her Indian spiritual teacher always referring to her as "the painter", even though she had never picked up a brush.

"I thought he was confusing me with someone else," she laughs.

At the time she was working as a graphic designer in the Manhattan perfume industry. After being encouraged by her husband and receiving rudimentary instructions on how to mix paint, she made her first painting of her teacher from a small blurry photograph. She felt guided by an unseen hand because the painting unfolded like magic and she realized, "I had a natural ability that I hadn't explored before." With a debt of gratitude to her teacher, she knew she had discovered a new path.

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When Pouget first started painting, her favorite artists were portrait painters, like Vermeer and Sargent whom she imitated in "order to understand their talent," she says.

She likes to work from photographs for her oil paintings and pastels, mostly of friends and "characters" from the streets of San Miguel: vendors, musicians, and street people. Not only does she capture a true likeness of her subjects, her portraits aim to capture their essence built up in layers of sumptuous color.

Early on in San Miguel, Pouget discovered her favorite subjects were the traditional dancers she often photographed during festivals. The power and dedication of their traditions moved something in her, and she knew she had to discover more. She started to manipulate the images digitally, playing with heightened color and repetitive patterns and was excited by the layered results. The vibrating images function like collage and the compositions' repetition recalls the rhythm of the dancers. While she works to create fluid images strong with color and form, she maintains her focus is to convey a feeling of sacredness.

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With the discovery of this process, a new project emerged that became about more than the manipulated photographs. She understood instinctively the spirituality of the traditions and connected that to her own seeker-self. Focusing on two tribes: the Chicimecas, and Senor de la Conquista, she knocked on doors until she was invited to go behind the scenes to their practices. She was able to interview the dancers, learn about their costumes, makeup, and how they prepare by asking the spirits to guide them before the dance. She started to see the layers of knowledge beyond what we see, as tourists, and now wants to help honor those traditions.

"It's all so much richer than the surface we see," she says.

Creativity, for Pouget, has always revolved around sharing with her community. She says she is very old-fashioned and values person-to-person contact. "I love people and organizing efforts on-line feels cold."

Her desire to be surrounded by this creative force led her, for 38 years, to organize salons -- intimate gatherings in her home where artists can share not only their talents, but also their philosophy and support of one another. She is passionate about connecting people, especially for a good cause. Being dedicated to her own spiritual growth led her to organize festivals designed to bring peace awareness, through art and music. In her community in Woodstock, NY, she became known as the "peace artist" through her efforts. She continues both of these efforts in San Miguel.

Pouget's spiritual, activist, and artistic interests have all united in her pursuit of beauty and understanding of the world through her artwork, and feels certain of her ability to bring the right people and opportunities to her at the right time. Art for her is about expressing behind what she sees.

"I feel like it's a gift that I open again and again."

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Check out her work at EvelynePouget.com and PougetDigital

Come to the Yo San Miguel Gallery on September 7th, 6:00 -- 10:00 pm where Evelyne's work will be featured along with several other talented San Miguel artists.

Article written by Linda Laino

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:05 AM | Comments (0)

March 29, 2019
When the Muses Dance in San Miguel de Allende

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The first time, in 2003, that Parisian-born artist, Evelyne Pouget saw the indigenous dancers of San Miguel de Allende making their way up Canal to the Jardin, she was stunned. Never before had she seen anything like it, not in her home country of France, nor in the many countries she had lived or traveled to -- 500 people adorned with feathers, beads, body paint, animal skulls, and headdresses, all moving together, with great intention, to the beat of their tribal drums.

Whatever power was calling the danzantes to leave their day jobs and take their ancient mysteries to the streets was also calling Evelyne -- and they became her muse. Although her clothes were different than theirs and the only face paint she wore was on her lips, her heart was beating to the same universal rhythm.

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And so she began photographing and painting them for the next 15 years, experimenting with many creative ways to amplify the beauty, power, and spirit of what they were expressing.

Deeply committed to honoring the indigenous traditions she was learning about, Evelyne began meeting with local elders, wisdom keepers, and a Mayan Shaman. She searched the internet to further tune into what she intuitively knew existed at the heart of the Conchero's dancing -- a physical expression of a metaphysical reality deeply connected to Mother Earth and her own heartfelt commitment to live her life from a place of respect and gratitude.

What she found both surprised and delighted her.

The dances she was witnessing on the streets of San Miguel emerged shortly after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire and were based on the old "mitote" dance -- one that was modified to include Catholic symbolism. While the Spanish conquistadores tried to eliminate as much of indigenous culture as possible, they could not do so completely and much of it, to this day, remains embedded in the dance -- a dance that was created by indigenous tribes to re-enact the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

The more Evelyne experimented with her photography and her painting, the more she realized just how many of the danzantes were participating in the street dances for inspired personal and spiritual purposes. Indeed, many of the tribes, before they dance, gather together to pray, chant, ask their deities for permission to dance, and perform ritual cleansing.

No matter how differently people interpret the origins, traditions, and intentions of the danzantes, there is one thing that cannot be denied: visual artists, like Evelyne Pouget, and thousands of other people from all walks of life continue to be inspired by the soulful expressions of San Miguel's deeply rooted indigenous traditions.

Evelyne Pouget's art, featuring the indigenous dancers and the architecture of San Miguel, will be featured in her March 30th Liquidation Studio Sale, 1:00 -- 5:00 pm, 61 Guadiana in Colonia Allende, between Cinco de Mayo and Las Flores All pieces will be discounted 40-70%.

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PougetDigital.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2018
More About Evelyne Pouget

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"When people ask me if I am an artist, I usually pause before answering. And the reason why is because, deep down, I believe that most of us are artists. Art, to me, is the ability to tune in, see beauty, and express it in a memorable way. I'm not talking about "beauty" in the traditional sense of the word. I'm talking about the recognition of what truly moves us as human beings. Artists are simply those people who find a way to capture this feeling and evoke it in others.

My early influences were places, not people. Born in Paris, I was surrounded by art. At 17, wanting to explore other cultures, I moved to Rome, alone, where my artist's journey began, creating posters for the Roman theater and working in a graphic design studio. From there, I traveled the world, then moved to New York City, started my own graphic design studio, and learned how to communicate a message that captured both attention and feeling.

Always, I was self-taught. It was feeling and fascination that were my teachers, not professors. It was only when I moved to Woodstock, New York -- pregnant with my first child -- that my artistic sensibilities fully opened up. I began with portraits, moved on to landscapes, then mosaics, oil pastels, photography, and now, 25 years later, digital painting.

Living in San Miguel de Allende has opened up my artistic palette to a whole new level. My first creations here were oil portraits of the people I encountered on my walks -- flower vendors, abuelas, and musicians -- people most tourists take for granted. And then one day, 16 years ago, sitting in a park, I heard, off in the distance, I heard the enchanting sound of drums, bells, and shakers. I looked up and was astonished at what I saw -- hundreds of dancers, dressed in outrageous costumes, walking in my direction.

These indigenous dancers were enacting a sacred tradition that had been going on for hundreds of years in Mexico. I photographed as many of them as I could -- not as a tourist taking pictures, but as a visual artist attempting to amplify beauty. These people inspired me -- the way they moved, what they stood for, their nobility, creativity, and commitment. Stunned by what they evoked in me, I kept searching for new ways to more fully express what I was seeing -- a way that would enable others to pause, reflect, and appreciate what these dancers were all about.

After a lot of experimentation, I realized, with my digital art, that I could amplify the moment, making more accessible, to others, the spirit and beauty of these amazing people.

As an artist, I am on a lifelong quest to find my voice -- what I have to say and how I want to say it. It's this voice I care about, true meaning, not art trends and style. And while I may never be as well-known as two of my earliest influences, Vermeer and Sargent, I trust that I will continue discovering my voice and the ever-changing forms of its expression, here in the beautiful town San Miguel."

Evelyne's digital art
Evelyne's pet portraits
Evelyne's people portraits
Evelyne's equine portraits

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2018
The Digital Art of Evelyne Pouget

evelynepouget01-u18817.jpgEvelyne Pouget was always artistic, even as a small girl growing up in France. But she didn't become an artist until she fully accepted the words of her Spiritual Master, Baba Muktananda, when she was 41.

For many years, Baba had referred to Evelyne as "The Painter"-- a phenomenon that Evelyne interpreted as her teacher mistaking her for someone else. Because she had no identity as an artist, his words never landed for her. Until they did one fine Spring day in 1994.

That's when she took her favorite photograph of him and sat down in her living room to paint his portrait. What happened next astounded her -- three hours of what seemed like "lost time." Somehow, she had entered a realm where time did not exist. When she looked up, what she saw in front of her was a portrait of Baba that evoked the very essence of who he was -- and this from a woman who had never picked up a paintbrush before.

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It was at that precise moment that Evelyne knew she had a gift and needed to make the effort to open it.

The first 22 years as an artist found Evelyne working as a landscape and portrait painter in Woodstock NY, moved as she was breathtaking vistas of the Hudson Valley and the people who lived there. Oils and oil pastels were her preferred medium. Toggling back and forth between motherhood, painting, and a wide variety of humanitarian projects, her life was full.

Upon visiting San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for the first time, in 2003, she soon noticed that the subjects of her paintings began to shift. Moved by the culture and people of Mexico, she began focusing on the colorful street life -- the flower vendors, musicians, and abuelas. Evelyne may have continued in this vein for decades, were it not for the sudden appearance of a profound new influence in her life -- the Concheros -- the indigenous street dancers of San Miguel and the surrounding area.

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The first time she saw the Concheros, dancing up Umaran to the Jardin, she was stunned. She had never seen anything like this before -- 500 people adorned with feathers, beads, body paint, and headdresses moving together to the beat of the drum like a tide. There was something about the way they moved, with so much nobility, power, and purpose, that was archetypal for her. Whatever power was calling the Concheros to take their ancient mysteries to the street was also calling Evelyne to play a much deeper kind of attention -- a classic kind of call and response.

Each year Evelyne returned to San Miguel, it was only matter of time before she heard the Concheros drums calling her. That's when she would grab her camera, her heart beating faster, and follow the sound. She took thousands of photographs, content, for a while, to have captured a bit of their essence. But the more she photographed, surrounded by tourists with their i-Phones poised, she couldn't help but notice there was kind of superficial gawking mentality on the street. For Evelyne, the words of Thoreau came to mind. "Its not what you look at. It's what you see." And what she was seeing, she knew, needed to be celebrated in a way that a simple photograph did not seem capable of -- a way to contextualize the spirit and sacredness of the Conchero dances.

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Entranced, Evelyne began researching the history and traditions of the Concheros. She met with local elders and wisdom keepers. She searched the internet for whatever she could find to further tune in to what she intuitively knew was at the heart of the Conchero's dancing -- a physical expression of a metaphysical reality deeply connected to Mother Earth and indigenous wisdom.

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Not unlike the Concheros, she entered a kind of trance state as she explored this new art form, spending hours at her computer -- experimenting and discovering, fascinated by the "happy accidents" that were being revealed to her. In time, she also began applying the technique she discovered to feature the beautiful architecture of San Miguel.

NOTE #1: Evelyne's digital art making is not done with Photoshop. She just stumbled on a technique that worked and has been refining it ever since.

NOTE #2: All of the digital art on Evelyne's website is available for purchase. Contact Evelyne for more info.

NOTE #3: Evelyne is available for commissions.

WEBSITE: www.PougetDigital.com
EMAIL: EvelynePouget2@gmail.com

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www.PougetDigital.com

www.EvelynePouget.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:19 PM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2017
The Digital Paintings of San Miguel Artist, Evelyne Pouget

If you live in San Miguel de Allende or Pozos, Mexico and want to experience an inspiring day of art, live music, tango, community, and self-expression, please come to a show that Evelyne will be part of, along with seven other fantastic San Miguel artists. More about this in the above slide show. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2017
The Sacred Dancers of San Miguel

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Some stories are told in words. Others are told in pictures. Click here for the extraordinary visual story of the sacred dancers of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico -- the work of peace artist, Evelyne Pouget.
And click here for the Wikipedia back story.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

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