A Busy Day in Montcabrier

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Paul

Yesterday morning I completed a 6×8 oil painting. Photos of that will have to await our weekly art show.

In the afternoon I accompanied Sally, our hostess, to a ceremony in a church across the valley. We can see this church from the terrace of our house. The Pestillac Church was in decay for many years, with a tree growing through the roof. However, some time ago the roof was restored to protect the building and recently restoration of the altar piece was completed. The ceremony was the formal dedication of this restored altar piece. A man, joined by several children, rang the church bell to begin the festivities. Over 100 people listened to a priest give a benediction and bless the new altar piece, the mayor discuss the funding and development of this public works project, and a state historian give a detailed account of the restoration. He also answered questions from some in the audience who questioned the authenticity of the restoration because it didn’t match their memories from childhood. The historian patiently explained the documentation of the original work and brought out photographs to show how faithfully they had restored the altar.

After the ceremony there was a reception outside the church with cider, soda, and cookies. I wandered around the adjacent cemetery and vineyard. The view across the valley to Montcabrier was beautiful.

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Late in the afternoon Jean wanted to take a walk so we headed out on one of the many trails. These trails are all part of the St. Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage routes that converge on Santiago, Spain. They have been active trails since the 9th century. We’ve hiked at least three of the trails that cross Montcabrier. These trails lead through forests, farmland, and sometimes along roads. It’s a wonderful way to see the countryside. Here are some photos from today’s hike and another.

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Our day ended with a dinner party with Sally and some of her friends. Amy we had met last week. John and Heidi split their time between New York and the Lot Valley. It was a wonderful evening with great food, fantastic wines, and interesting conversation. I was so engrossed in our conversations I failed to take a single photograph during the four hours we shared.

Paul

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Report from Montcabrier – Jean

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Jean

We’ve had a bit of rain the past few days.  The blue skies have filled with clouds . . . ah, it feels like home.

There’s something about being on the road, especially when you have a wonderful host like Sally Gaucheron, that frees you to do art when the spirit strikes . . .inspiration from newly discovered artists and some old favorites . . . the fields of sunflowers we are surrounded by . . . the elegant water bottle on the dinner table . . . and when you don’t have to prepare the meals or do the dishes, you have no excuses left.

One of my goals on this trip has been to make art every day, sometimes sketches, sometimes paintings, often a combination.  I’ve missed a few days, but not many, and I’m feeling more confidence at putting the lessons I’ve learned in the past few years to use.  It isn’t always easy.  Inspiration, doesn’t always strike.  But I’m finding that putting pencil or pastel to paper leads to new insights and understanding, even when I’m not feeling great inspiration.  And when I am feeling it, magic happens.

Here are two sketches, one inspired by Constable, another one an interpretation of his painting, Salsibury Cathedral and Leadenhall from the River Avon, and a photo of Constable’s original.  The cloud study was inspired by a roomful of his plein aire watercolor and oil sketches we saw at the Victoria and Albert in London.

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These are a selection of other sketches from various stages of our trip including Montcabrier.  The sunflowers are studies for a painting that I’m working on.

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And here are the paintings and a pastel study.  My general inspiration now is to create the kind of luminescence that Redon achieved with soft pastels.  It will happen eventually.

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That all for now.

Jean

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Montcabrier Studio

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Jean

Several of you have asked about the Atelier de la Rose accommodations and studio.  The studio is spacious, with multiple work surfaces, easels, portable stools we can take out for plein aire painting as well as chairs to sit in and divan for lounging.  There are brushes and some paper and miscellaneous still life objects.  Sally Gaucheron, our hostess has even provided me with a large metal plate that was once a cover for her stove, which she saved thinking that someday one of her visiting artists might have a use for it.  It works perfectly as an easel board for me and allows me to use magnets to hold my pastel paper securely while I’m painting.

Here are a few photos of our space.

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And this is me, returned from a hike in the rain, standing outside the gallery in the second patio where we sometimes have our meals.

Me in the second patio

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Montcabrier Artwork

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Paul

Some people have asked for photos of the art we are producing while at Atelier de la Rose.  Jean and I decided to post our art shows separately. The following is a summary of my first week.

My goal on this trip is to create paintings with more planning and sketching than I have previously. Specifically I am working to better understand composition by working the sketches several times to get something I like before committing it to a final painting. I’ve always been more of a spontaneous painter. Sometimes that works, but often I find that the composition could have been tweaked a bit to improve the image. That’s educational plan for this trip.

My first sketch was of a wonderful old fashioned rose that grows on the private garden patio off the back of the studio. It soon became my first Montcabrier painting. I have always loved these simple flowers and jumped at the chance to paint them.

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Next I moved to a hiking trail we hiked early in the week. In another post I will tell more about the trails here that are part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago Spain. Along one section there was a distant views of the hills. It was there that we encountered a wonderful tree. I took photos and did several sketches before completing the oil painting.

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My third painting of the week was another watercolor. The only remaining part of the old city walls is an eroded north gate. It stands at the head of a trail leading down into the forest. I love the image. Again, I worked with photos and created several sketches before settling on how I wanted to interpret it. Interestingly, there is a tree stump to the left of the gate and I chose to resurrect the tree for my painting.

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Finally, here are a few other sketches I’ve done while rambling around the village.

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Having fun painting!

Paul

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Around Montcabrier

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Paul

We’ve spent the last three days exploring our immediate area and painting. Soon we will do a painting post, but for now here is a pictorial summary of our area.

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Tonight was the weekly village market. Vendors set up at about 6 PM and the people began arriving from all over the countryside. This is a market where people come to eat. Tables were set up around the square and the vendors were selling much ready-to-eat food and drinks. A local musician provided guitar and vocals of pop songs from the last 50 years. I stopped to buy a couple of goat cheeses, but we didn’t dine at the market. Sally once again provided us with a wonderful meal.

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The village fete begins tomorrow. Therefore, in addition to music outside our room tonight we expect to have loud music going on late for the next two nights. During the day there are childrens’ activities, food, games, and even a tractor pull! At night the music and dancing begin and go on until no one can stay awake. It should be quite a weekend.

Paul

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25th Wedding Anniversary

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Paul

Our third day in Montcabrier was quite busy. 25 years ago we got married in the presence of friends and family in Seattle’s Good Shepherd Center Park. We began this day with breakfast on the terrace. Sally decorated our table with red bows and a beautiful card featuring a print of her late husband’s painting of Montcabrier. It was a very touching way to begin the day. We will treasure the card.

We needed to buy some drawing paper and Sally called ahead to Artempo in Agen to ensure that they were open and let them know that two Americans were coming. With directions in hand and our GPS working we drove to Agen. Artempo proved to be a small shop with a very complete collection of papers, canvases, paints, pastels, and other materials. The proprietress was most gracious with our poor French and assisted us to find the papers we wanted. Paper blocks in hand we set the GPS to go to Pujols, a medieval village nearby.

Pujols sits high on a hill overlooking the Lot valley. There has been a fortress or city here since the 12th century. Although much was destroyed in subsequent wars and the need to find building materials, several of the ancient structures remain. The old town of Pujols is about the same geographic size as Montcabrier, but with houses crammed much closer together. The only vehicles allowed are those of residents. We strolled the lanes, visited shops and artists’ ateliers, and the town’s two churches. For a late lunch at an outdoor cafe we had anchovy pizza, salad, and beer.

Egilse St. Nicolas is a small functioning church dating from the 15th century. It is part of the original ramparts of the fortress, so quite substantial. Eglise St. Foy La Jeune also dates from the 15th century. This Agen saint is a well known martyr from the region. While quite changed by time and revolution, the church has preserved part of the original frescoes. The walls are covered with these marvelous faint images while the space below is used as an art gallery.

(To stop on a photo in the slide show hover your cursor over the photo and a control bar will  appear with forward, back, and pause buttons.)

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Leaving Pujols, we returned to Montcabrier in time for aperitifs. Amy, a native New Yorker who now lives in Montcabrier full time, had invited Sally and us to her home. Her garden is one we had noticed on earlier walks and hope to paint while here. We spent a delightful hour with Amy and Sally, learning about life in France. Amy deserves extra credit for having taken and passed the French driving test! She also introduced us to one of her cats, Jules. His feline colleague is named Jim. Did I mention the terrific Viognier wine? The cheese, sausage, nuts?

Having imbibed a good deal of wine, we made our way up the street to Atelier de la Rose where Sally prepared our anniversary dinner. Couscous, spicy sausages, and a north African vegetable mix. Of course more Viognier! Desert was chocolate mint ice cream with chocolate wafer sticks accompanied by herb tea while watching the sun set. What a fine day! We went to bed stuffed with visions of the Lot valley, memories of great stories and conversation, good food, and fine wine.

Paul

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Wisconsin with Castles

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Paul

After saying au revoir to JP yesterday morning we drove out of Paris without a GPS. It wouldn’t pick up a signal in the city, but finally did as we entered the Periphique. We arrived at Atelier de la Rose in Montcabrier last evening after a long 8 hour drive. The roadways were blocked by traffic jams both directions in central France. No apparent reason, just an extreme number of cars. This was a bank holiday weekend in France. The holiday was Thursday so the French had four days to play.

Driving down the heart of France I was struck by geography that seemed strangely familiar. Okay, we drove here two years ago, but it was more than that. Leaving Paris one encounters flat farmland broken by occasional rows of trees, streams, and small towns. This gradually changes to rolling countryside with more forests. Approaching the Dordogne the hills become higher, the valleys deeper, and the forests thicker. The Lot valley is similar. Finally it occurred to me that this looked familiar because it looks like Wisconsin! Of course in France you must add medieval castles, ancient churches, and Roman ruins to name just a few differences. We passed a Roman aqueduct almost 2000 years old. Our village of Montcabrier dates from the 14th century. Near our house is the original gate to the village. You don’t see that in Wisconsin.

Sally Gaucheron met us with a cool glass of beer. We chatted and relaxed before she served us a scrumptious dinner. We finished our wine and then had fruit and tea on the terrace to watch the sun set. What a glorious end to the day and wonderful welcome to our home for the next four weeks.

Today we are taking photos of our bags to prove to the shipper how big they are because we’re still having a dispute about the charges. Then we will unpack our painting supplies and get to work.

Paul

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The Louvre

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Paul

Yesterday we visited The Louvre. After standing in line for 1 1/2 hours we secured our tickets and headed directly to our favorite collection.

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Lucky for us our favorites are not near the Mona Lisa or other masterpieces or ancient art. We love the 19th and 20th centuries, which limits our viewing at The Louvre since any art from about 1880 to the present has been sent to The Orsay Museum or Pompidou Centre. However, there is one notable exception.

Helene and Victor Lyon donated their collection to The Louvre with the stipulation that it remain together. They loved impressionist art, so this collection has some fantastic works that would usually be seen at The Orsay. Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec are represented as well as many others. We always make this our first stop at The Louvre and were not disappointed. This collection is found on the second floor of the Sully wing for those visiting in the future.

After thoroughly soaking in the Lyon collection we backtracked into the 19th century French paintings. We particularly like many of the Barbizons and found lots to draw our attention. There are many more from Theodore Rouseau, whom we had fallen in love with in London. A surprise find was Theodore Chasseriau. His works stand out among his contemporaries with impressionist and abstract lines. What a nice find!

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It was time for tea and croissants. We chatted with a friendly woman from Adelaide, Australia. Her son soon joined us. She had come to Europe on business and stayed to do some touring accompanied by her son. They love art so we had much to share. While in Florence for the business conference they were treated to a banquet with David in the Academia Gallerie. Wow! We’re so sorry we didn’t get their names and contact info.

We walked toward the Tuilleries and found a lovely small garden filled with Aristide Maillol sculptures. He is one of our favorite artists and his sculptures are wonderful. We didn’t know about this garden and felt quite lucky to have stumbled upon more of his work.

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A walk along The Seine took us to the bus ride home. Along the way we checked out the Paris Plage 2013.

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JP had prepared a wonderful dinner of sesame noodles with vegetables, and chicken. As has become our habit we stuffed ourselves on his cooking. What can I say? I love to eat good food.

Paul

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Montmartre

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Paul

Yes, I’ve missed a couple of days of posts. We’ve been busy.

A few days ago we spent the day at Montmartre. No, we didn’t go inside Sacre Coeur. We climbed the steps to the front and then dodged around to the left to perhaps our favorite quiet spot in Paris, Saint Pierre de Montmarte. This is older than Sacre Coeur and not frought with so many political undertones. Sacre Coeur was built with public funds as a slap at the communards of the 19th century. Saint Pierre, on the other hand, is the founding place of the Jesuits. It’s small sanctuary is an active church whose quiet penetrates the soul. We sat for a while inside and Jean lit a candle for her sister who has been ill since we arrived in Europe. It is difficult to be so far away.

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Then we ventured to the square to see what the local artists are offering. In this open square over 100 artists set up their easels and paint, draw, or sculpt while also selling completed works.  Much of the work is schlock made for the tourist trade – cutout silhouettes, quick pastel portraits, etc. However, there are some gems as well. We strolled around and stopped to talk to a few of the artists.

After checking out the artists we settled into one of the cafes that surround the square to watch the people and have some tea. Jean couldn’t resist the urge to sketch and soon was working on capturing the essence of a tree in the square. Perhaps she will share her sketch in her own post. A bride and groom were lounging inside the cafe and before we left they emerged to walk down the street. Was it before or after the wedding? We don’t know.

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Late in the afternoon, we returned down the hill to the Metro home, where we shared dinner with JP. Our nightly gathering for dinner to share our day’s adventures has been wonderful and we will miss his company when we leave here on Saturday.

Paul

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The Art Museum

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Paul

We have visited art museums in London, Amsterdam, and Paris. I’ve made some sketches as we went along. Yesterday I decided to try to summarize my sketches with a small watercolor painting. This is my tongue-in-cheek experience of art museums.

The Art Museum

The Art Museum

The unfortunate truth is that during the tourist season one often looks at the backs of other people’s heads rather than the art. Museums have a difficult task. Their space is too small for the large collections. Therefore, they must hang as many pieces as possible in somewhat crowded fashion to accommodate the demands of the public to see the works. Also, most tourists travel to these oases of art during a few months of the year. Often the result is overcrowding. The National Gallery in London is an exception. For the most part they have large rooms and hang the works well spaced.

For the visitor the better solution is to visit museums when there are fewer visitors. I imagine that the art museums of Europe would offer better viewing in January or February. Perhaps we will try that on a trip when we are not planning on doing a great deal of plein air painting. In the mean time I couldn’t resist having a bit of fun with this painting.

Paul

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