The triptych work by the acclaimed Cypriot and International artist Rhea Bailey entitled "Cypriot Coast" was included in the recently-opened IIth International Art Exhibition Nord Art 2008 in Budelsdorf, Germany.

"Kunst in der Carlshutte" ( KiC), is a joint initiative of the towns of Budelsorf and Rendsburg and the ACO Group. KiC- International Nord Art Exhibition provides a detailed insight into modern art. More than 200 artists, most from Europe, but also from Asia and America, present their paintings, sculptures, installations, graphics and photographs – selected for Nord Art 2008 from 1200 applications from 58 countries. The exhibition, funded by the state and the EU, is attracting more than 10,000 visitors every year.

Nord Art arose and grew as an exhibition concept conceived by artists for artists writes Hans – Julius Ahlmann the ACO Group Managing Partner in his forward to the catalogue of the exhibition.

The managing director of now internationally known and lauded Nord Art exhibition is painter and sculptor Wolfgang Gramm.

Rhea’s "Cypiot Coast" was well received in this prestigious international show and demonstrates the continuous creativity and contribution of Cyprus to international art.

The triptych works of Rhea were exhibited last November at the Castelliotissa Hall in Nicosia. The exhibition will continue until the end of September. For more information regarding the exhibition visit www.kic-nordart.de.

From June 20 to June 30, prominent Cypriot artists Maria Tourou and Rhea Bailey were invited to represent Cyprus in the international Art Plener-Russalk 2008, Republic of Bulgaria, sponsored by Maria Baneva president of International Centre of Arts "Russalka". This event has been organised every year since 2000 and brings together leading painters, sculptors, applied artists, musicians and stage designers to create art works and exchange ideas and experience. Maria and Rhea painted in beautiful natural unspoiled surrounding and contributed two paintings each to the collection of the International Centre of Arts.

Rhea Bailey was born in 1946 in Nicosia, Cyprus where she lives and works. She studied in England at the Sir John Cass School of Art (1964-65) and obtained a BA Honours in Art and Design from the Liverpool College of Art, UK (1965- 69) She is deputy director General of IBC Cambridge, for Europe. Since 1971 she’s had 35 solo exhibitions in Cyprus, UK, USA, Greece and Spain, and has participated in over 50 group exhibitions and congresses in many countries. Her works are part of major public and private collections all over the world and she has received many international awards. Her work has been considered as a vehicle that " transfers us to other dimensions from where we can draw perfection" and that it "provides a conceptual bridge to contemporary art forms".

Maria Tourou was born in Famagusta. She studied painting, drawing and lithography in London, Italy and the United States of America. Hammersmith School of Art, London 1960-1966 Positano Art Workshop, Italy 1962 -1963 Graphic Arts in Maryleborne Art Institute, London 1966 at Camden Art Institute 1973 and the Corcora School of Art in Washington 1983.

Her work moves about in the frame of abstraction and surrealism with symbolic prolongations. In her paintings which are distinguished by the rich colour graduations she adds a dreamy character and a metaphysical dimension equivalent to psychical situations, tension and emotional agony.

Maria has exhibited 27 times and has taken part in many group exhibitions at home and abroad. Her work can be found in Larnaca’s City Hall Gallery, in the State Gallery of Cyprus, at Museo de arte Moderno, in Columbia and in many other public and private collections. She now lives and works in Lefkara.

Another

traveller

Valerie Brennan had a fine exhibition at the hammam in Paphos a few years ago then went off to Mexico. Her work will be at the Mexico Biennale in autumn and also at the Florence Biennale in 2009.

Here is what she writes about her paintings.

"My paintings are a response to the environment and stimuli that surround me and are very much connected to life. The recent drawings and paintings began from a nocturnal panorama of Mexico City.

“I try to reduce everything that informs each painting so I usually begin from an oversimplified drawing source.

“My work is based in the objective world, my aim not being to represent rather to reveal the subject though an atmospheric interpretation that emphasises the painted surface as an expressive reality in itself”.