Creating art takes time, energy, and money. If sales of artworks are enough to cover these costs, that’s great, but that’s not often the case: because while many people love artists, they rarely buy their work. So for the artist, they have to make up for it with a job… as a freelancer (ART CLASSE, for example), which is fine, but not always enough, and it’s time-consuming and draining. If all that still isn’t enough, taking a regular job isn’t a solution: it’s “goodbye” to creating, because it’ll be too hard to juggle both due to the excessive energy required.

First of all, thank you for attributing this qualification to me (and it’s true that I did teach for six years at the Collège de Coppet and ECAL combined, where I was also a member of the administration… and was forced to resign due to bullying by the then-principal, Pierre Keller).

Despite that last very “instructive” experience, I’ve already tried again. I even secured (for a weekend) a teaching position at the Collège de Candolle a few years ago. But Sandrine Conza-Rossier, its principal at the time, asked me to provide her with two documents that seemed to be “missing” from my file: a Master’s degree in Art and my teaching certificate.

So here’s the thing: I earned a Master’s degree, back when it wasn’t yet called a Master’s (but rather a “Diplôme B,” or a doctorate in Art History… But it’s true that “Master’s” sounds more impressive than “Diplôme B,” and that name didn’t come along until about 12 years after I finished my studies at art school). And I have a teaching diploma issued by the Haute école pédagogique de Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud. I’m specifying this because the Vaud diploma isn’t recognized in Geneva, and my “Diploma B” isn’t recognized either, since it doesn’t bear the name “Master’s.” Welcome to the world of bureaucracy and civil service: A dream environment!

At HEAD, I also applied during Jean-Pierre Greff’s tenure, when a position that perfectly matched my qualifications was posted. When I spoke with him later, I learned that they hadn’t hired anyone in the end, because they were looking for an “internationally renowned figure”… So, either they were hoping to find a needle in Geneva’s haystack, or they were dreaming of bringing an artist living in New York, Paris, or London to Geneva’s “art paradise.”

In both cases, apparently, I didn’t have the necessary qualifications after all… proof that I was an artist (lol).

QED

Absolutely: If you have other artist friends in your circle, I encourage you to support them in their endeavors just as much as me.

Collectors are, by definition, patrons. Because, through their purchases, they support artistic creation and, on top of that, have amazing works of art in their homes.

On the other hand, patrons don’t necessarily collect art.

Some of my collectors also bought raffle tickets from me in 2024. You could say they’re “double” patrons.

Not all members of the 2024 Club of Friends have (yet) purchased a painting (though some have won them). So…

Participating is great!

Winning is awesome!

Collecting is super awesome!

Become a patron and a member of the “Friends of Stéphane Ducret Club,” and you’ll automatically be entered.

Membership for the year 2026 is a minimum of 100 CHF, or as much as you wish. Patrons will be registered for the 2026 calendar year.

Every 100 CHF of your generous donation corresponds to one lottery ticket to win one of my paintings up for grabs. Of course, your chances of winning will increase accordingly. For example, with CHF 200, you will receive 2 tickets, and so on. In 2024, my friends generally purchased between 1 and 5 tickets per person, and I am still very grateful to them.

No, a new entry is required for each edition.

1 to 40 tickets sold: 1 painting to be won

41 to 80 tickets sold: 2 paintings to be won

81 to 120 tickets sold: 3 paintings to be won

121 to 160 tickets sold: 4 paintings to be won

161 to 200 tickets sold: 5 paintings to be won

Etc.

In fact, there is one painting to be won for every 40 tickets. This does not mean that there is one drawing for tickets 1 through 40 and another drawing for tickets 41 through 80. If, for example, between 41 and 80 tickets are sold, 2 tickets will be drawn from all tickets starting with number 1. If between 81 and 120 tickets are sold, 3 tickets will be drawn from all tickets. Etc.

If more than 240 tickets are sold (and even as few as 200), additional prize tiers will be added: at least one tier for every 40 additional tickets. I will add more paintings than necessary to offer a wider selection, even for the last ticket drawn.

Check the list before the raffle day, and if you’d like to change the order of the paintings you’d like to win, please let me know.

Prizes not awarded through the Prize Draw can be won at the time of purchase: certain secret numbers, selected in advance (before the launch of this raffle), will be matched with surprise drawings or paintings.

Tickets that win these surprise prizes are still entered into the Prize Draw on Sunday, June 7, even if they have won the instant prize.

Between numbers 1 and 60: 1 drawing to be won immediately

Between numbers 61 and 120: 1 painting to be won immediately

Between numbers 121 and 180: 1 drawing or painting to be won immediately

Between numbers 181 and 240: 1 drawing or painting to be won immediately

Etc.

I am extremely pleased with the artworks up for grabs, even though they are not part of my “official” series catalog. They are part of mini-series (fewer than 5 works) that I did not continue developing (in order to focus on a single “official” series).

The works in my “official” catalog remain available for purchase (only) and are not included in the giveaway.

There are only “first prizes”! Each work is unique!

Numbers are assigned to you immediately and strictly in the order of the date and time of your payment, starting with Number 1 for the first payment and increasing by 1 without interruption or skipping any numbers: Numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.

For example:

If the previous number assigned is 42, the following purchases will be, in order (these are examples):

• Twint payment of 100 CHF received on April 30 at 5:30 p.m.: Number 43.

• Bank transfer of 500 CHF received on April 30 at 5:31 p.m.: Numbers 44, 45, 46, 47, 48.

• Credit card purchase of 200 CHF on May 1 at 8:30 a.m.: Numbers 49 & 50.

• And so on…

To streamline the process, I will check for your payments every 2–3 days and let you know when they come in.

If you remember, please send me a message as soon as you’ve made your payment via bank transfer or PayPal (since I don’t receive automatic notifications).

I will then let you know the unique numbers that have been assigned to you. This simplifies the process.

However, even if you don’t notify me, I will handle the assignment on a regular basis.

If I haven’t sent you your numbers after 4 days, please let me know as soon as possible (and especially before the Prize Draw date), so I can send them to you.

It may take some time to process your payment, so I might not be able to respond on the same day. I will be very careful to track your payments exactly one after another and in the correct order.

However, if several days have passed and you haven’t received your number, please send me an email at studio@stephaneducretstudio.com or a WhatsApp message at +41 76 385 6888 so I can resolve the issue.

No! Sorry: numbers are assigned as you make your purchases and therefore cannot be chosen. This is for organizational reasons and, most importantly, for the surprise numbers, which also win instant prizes.

Yes!

If you draw one of the numbers in the surprise draw, you immediately win a piece of art and also participate in the final Prize Draw. So, even if you win a surprise piece of art, it’s possible to win a second piece in the final Prize Draw.

In addition, if you buy multiple tickets, each ticket can win a piece in the Prize Draw. So, for example, if two of your tickets are drawn, you’ll be able to win two pieces.

So buy more tickets to increase your chances of winning pieces and, at the same time, support my work!

Tickets are valid for a single Prize Draw only. Those from 2024 are valid only for 2024. Those from this year are valid only for this year.

No!

Don’t worry about getting stuck in a subscription trap—there will be no automatic renewal process, nor is one expected.

If you bought tickets in 2024, you don’t have to feel obligated to buy them in 2026. I am already infinitely grateful that you did so at that time. Likewise, if you purchase tickets in 2026, you should not feel obligated to buy them for any future editions, if any.

Nevertheless, as with museums and art centers and their annual support, you are cordially invited to renew your support this year, as your 2024 donations have already been put to good use, and once again, your support this year will help me in my creative work.

And if you want to have a chance to win some art this year too, the only way is to enter!

Of course, there is absolutely no obligation or expectation in this regard (in fact, I have no expectations of anyone, not even those who have never bought anything from me).

If you’ve recently purchased my works, you’ve already supported my recent creative endeavors. But if you’d like a chance to win one of these works, you’re of course welcome to participate as well.

In any case, my most important collectors—including everyone who purchased works from me between 2025 and 2026—are invited to the Garden Party on June 7.

No!

I will cover all shipping and delivery costs for the artworks.

However, you are responsible for paying any customs duties and other taxes, if applicable.

• Cash, in person.

• Twint (with a monthly limit of 2,000 CHF from my account)

• Bank transfer.

• Credit card, Apple Pay, Klarna.

• PayPal.

However, this year, I will not be able to accept payments via Revolut or other systems (Bitcoins, etc.).

The deadline for purchasing tickets is a few minutes before the Prize Draw on Sunday, June 7, 2026. On-site: Please pay in cash if possible, although credit cards and Twint are accepted, subject to Twint’s limits (I can only receive up to 2,000 CHF per month).

An “impartial” person—someone who did not purchase any tickets this year and who has no direct connection (such as a romantic partner or family member) to the participants or to me.

The “impartial” person will blindly draw from a bucket filled with all the numbers assigned to your ticket purchases and will pull them out one by one.

For each ticket drawn, the number will be publicly announced (also live on instagram), along with the first name and first letter of the last name of the person who purchased it (to respect their anonymity), as well as their list of preferred works.

The Prize Draw will take place in public on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. (Swiss Eastern Time, UTC +2) and will be streamed live on instagram from my studio in Pregny-Chambésy / Geneva, Switzerland, during the Garden Party. Reception begins at 12:00 p.m. and continues throughout the afternoon.

The Garden Party will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2026, starting at 12:00 PM, featuring grilled meats and other dishes to share.

At 3:00 PM (Swiss Eastern Time, UTC +2) and live on Instagram, the Prize Draw will take place.

The party will continue throughout the afternoon.

• Anyone who purchased one or more raffle tickets in 2026. If you’d like to bring a guest, please purchase at least one additional ticket per guest.

• Anyone who purchased (and paid in full for) one or more of my paintings or drawings in 2025 and 2026 may also bring a guest. Certain major collectors from before those dates are also invited.

• The neutral person, who has not purchased a raffle ticket and whom I will designate to “draw the winning tickets from the hat.”

I’ll take care of the basics.

That said, any contributions—whether dishes, grilled items, desserts, or drinks—are of course very much appreciated!

Please let me know in advance what you plan to bring, if anything, so I can make the necessary arrangements.

Immediately after the garden party is over and the winning numbers have been announced, I will coordinate with each winner to ship or deliver your prizes.

If you’re there in person, you can even take them home with you right away.

As for the surprise prizes won immediately upon purchasing your tickets, I’ll deliver or ship them to you as soon as possible.

I have only one condition: Once you have received your artwork and hung it in your home or office, please send me a photo so I can post it on social media and in newsletters (your full name will not be published, to protect your anonymity).

Yes!

In addition to entering the Prize Draw and raffle for artworks immediately upon purchasing your tickets, and attending the garden party on Sunday, June 7, there is at least one other benefit:

You will receive “Premium” VIP preview announcements for one year regarding my new works being released, so you can acquire them before the general public.

Only “First Choice” VIPs—that is, those who have purchased works from me in the past—are notified before “Premium” VIPs.

Next come the “Preview” VIPs—that is, potential collectors who have never purchased my works and are not part of my “Circle.”

Then comes the rest of the public.

And there may be other benefits in the future.

I would like to thank you once again for your generous participation.

The winning drawings and paintings will be delivered.

The funds raised, after deducting contest-related expenses, will be used to cover all my future expenses, allowing me to take the time to retreat and focus on my work as an artist—painting, photographing, and cataloging my works, as well as contacting curators, art centers, museums, and associated galleries, so they can discover my work and, if appropriate, plan to exhibit it to the public.

I will keep you updated on my progress.