Madeleine Blanche Vallier, 86, passed away on March 20, 2012 in Ann Arbor, MI.
Born November 20, 1925 in Paris, France, she lived her early life in the difficult times of WWII. Later she immigrated to Detroit, where she married Michael Papo M.D. She spent her years raising her two children, while developing her artistic passion. She is survived by her daughter, Michele Papo, MD, son-in-law Peter Tanguy and grandson, Ian Tanguy of Dallas, Texas, as well as her son, Rene Papo and his wife, Dr. Hina Papo and their two children, Alex and Gisele of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In her early life in Paris, Madeleine developed her interest in art through visits to the Louvre and other museums and galleries. Early in her painting, she worked with oil and acrylic paints but settled on watercolor as her preferred medium.
Her most recent paintings were executed in Yupo paper, a plastic surface well suited to her use of shifting edges to imply the change of light and the passage of time.
As a founding member and contributor of the Chelsea Painters, Madeleine was instrumental in developing the local art community. For 38 years, she helped to organize the Chelsea Painters Art Fair at Chelsea Community Hospital. Madeleine exhibited in many juried shows including the Michigan Watercolor Society and received numerous art awards.
“Watercolor has been my medium for quite a number of years. The loose flowing quality of the medium produces subtle passages that trigger an emotional response in me. I work with remembered shapes and places and, as the work evolves, the subject is transformed and becomes a personal experience. I am creating an abstract pattern through a realistic statement, with interplay of space, color and shape.” … Madeleine
