Arts patron Lucienne Wolfe and Lewes artist Badialov

25 March 2016 - Friends and family gathered in St. Peters Church in Lewes Friday morning to celebrate the life of Lucienne Vignol Wolfe. A great patron of the arts, Lucienne passed on to her next great adventure on the first day of spring, Monday, March 21.  96 years.  A long, busy and culturally rich life.

While hymns of praise filled the sanctuary of St. Peter's with musical beauty, across the street Alex Badialov prepped the windows of R&L Liquors for his own artistic rite of spring.  With paints of green, red and pink, Alex adorned the windows with wine-glass shaped tulips in honor of the upcoming Lewes Tulip Festival April 7 through April 16. It was an appropriate activity to accompany the departure of Lucienne's spirit.

Manager Carol Garner came out of R&L to chat in the warm sunshine. "He's doing some in pink in honor of rosé wine.  Rosé is really hot right now.  We sold more rosé in 2015 than we sold in all of the previous 42 years put together.  It's amazing."

Between Lucienne's service and her burial in St. Peter's cemetery on Pilottown Road, I had time before the post-funeral reception to talk with Alex. Before, during, and after the service I was able to chronicle his progress on the flowers.

"Are you a commercial artist?"

Alex scowled.

"Not commercial.  I don't like commercial.  I am an artist.  Was Michaelangelo a commercial artist?  He was paid for his work.  How about Leonardo da Vinci?  Was he a commercial artist."

No argument from me.

Alex has put his artistic stamp in many places in downtown Lewes.  Using his artistic skills he has painted a number of trompe l'oeil murals: some in a walkway beneath the Inn at Canal Square, one behind the Lewes Mercantile Center on Second Street, and two more surrounding the back entranceways to a building behind the Mercantile Center that faces Front Street. Trompe l'oeil is a French phrase meaning trick of the eye. The painting technique tricks the eye into thinking it is seeing three-dimensional elements despite the two-dimensionality of painting.  Lucienne would be pleased. Purely French and a lover of the arts, she would be honored to know her heritage was being discussed during her final passage.

Alex is particularly proud of he one he painted in the below street-level public walkway under the Inn at Canal Square.  "It's my most serious and most secret."  You will spot it.

Here are photos of Alex at work and some of his tromp l'oeil in downtown Lewes.

Thanks for reading and taking a look.  It means a lot to me.