The fishermen's day off (2009) Painting by Doranne Alden

Doranne Alden is a professional graphic designer and artist. As an artist, her preferred painting medium is watercolour based media. In particular she is drawn to using a liquid watercolour (ink) which enhances the boldness and sharp contrasts in her work. However in this exhibition she has chosen to concentrate on both traditional watercolour and watercolour inks. She is inspired by colour rather than by subject matter. Doranne was born in Sliema in 1963, and after completing her education, studied art for a number of years at the School of Art in Msida under the guidance of Joseph L. Mallia (1937- ). She also followed other Design related courses, including Interior Design, but chose to work as a Graphic Designer and Artist.

Contemporaneously she frequented a painting group led by Joy Micallef Farndell(1924-), an exceptional watercolourist. In Malta she worked as a graphic designer for over fifteen years with several major advertising agencies and eventually as a freelance designer. Over the years she gleaned experience in several aspects of design, but it was during the years as a freelance designer that Doranne produced a series of original postcards: ‘Details of Malta’, posters: ‘Glimpses of Malta’ and personalised photographic calendars. Inevitably this led her to launch her own advertising agency: ‘Details Design Ltd’, along with a partner up to 1995.

In 1996 she settled in Germany with her family and there held drawing and watercolour classes for adults. She also became an active member of an art group of abstract art organised by German artist Frau Renate Botzenhardt in Tutzing, Bavaria. She lived in Bavaria for almost seven years, during which time she participated in joint and collective exhibitions. Her three major exhibitions were: a joint exhibition held at the Town Hall in Tutzing, Bavaria and two solos: the first at the Gasthaus Zur Post in Wessoburn, Germany, while the second solo was held at the Art Hotel in Vienna, Austria.

In 2006 Doranne won first prize in the watercolour section in the Silver Palette Competition organised biannually by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Recently she participated in a collective exhibition entitled ‘New Faces 2008’ at Gallery G, Lija. Doranne has received positive criticism. Her third and most recent solo was held in December 2008, at a VR-Bank near Passau.
Her work has been referred to as ‘little jewels of art’ in the ‘Ammersee Kurier’; as ‘natural without being too realistic’ a phrase by Thomas Wellens in the ‘Weilheim Tablett’; Marika Azzopardi coined the epithet ‘warmth and mouth-watering mellowness’ for her fruit (pears) in the ‘Weekender’ the culture section of ‘The Times’ a local paper. Alden’s paintings form part of several private collections in Malta and overseas. One such work holds pride of place in the foyer of the Munich International School, Percha Bavaria.

Doranne Alden is the daughter of well known Maltese watercolourist Albert Caruana ...

• Nationality: MALTA
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Maltese Artists