Artist as Traveler, Part 3
Our last field trip of the workshop took us to Vézelay. It was a quiet Monday morning when we arrived and we shared the site with very few others. Something about the Place in front of the cathedral filled me with a sense of awesomeness as I entered it this time. Called, The Eternal Hill, I was struck by it’s dramatic history, it’s endurance through the ages, it’s marvelous beauty, and the symbol this site represents as the center of peace in the world. As Holly put it, much better than I could, “it was just divine.” Being there for a few hours had a very healing affect.
Artist as Traveler, Part 2
On Sunday morning we visited the renown Chablis farmer’s market. Everyone bought something to offer for the evening’s dinner, which was a cooperative cooking event. Fall produce, pears, apples, figs and mushrooms were displayed on tables in abundance. Artisanal bread, cheese, olives and sweets were on offer. We almost intuitively each went for different vendors and products. Without too much coordination, we managed to pull together a meal plan with variety and balance.
Artist as Traveler, Part 1
Our week long workshop, Artist as Traveler, began in Noyers, where everyone gathered in a house rented in the middle of town. There were four participants, since two others that had planned to come, dropped out due to illness. It made for an intimate group. Each one, I must say, had something special and wonderful to contribute. We all seemed to bond quickly and easily.
La Belle Epoque
La Belle Epoque was so named in retrospect to describe a kind of Golden Age that existed in Europe between the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the begiining of WWI (1871-1914). It was characterized by a flowering of arts of every kind, optimism and colonial expansion.It was the time of the Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergère. The Eiffel Tower was built and Haussmann renovated Paris to turn it into one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Colette, Proust and Zola wrote of these times. The impressionists and Pre-Raphaelites painted while Debussy, Strauss and Ravel composed music.
Preparations
This week has been devoted to preparing for a workshop with my very talented artist friend Gail Rieke. She gave 5 workshops in out atelier at the Maison Conti, but this is the first time she will be coming to Moulins. In Montmirail I had a huge studio, with a large table and an extra print room that easily accommodated a crowd. My atelier here is too small, so the garden room will be turned into our workshop. It’s an untested concept! Although the family has used this space at Christmas to do joint projects, and it worked well. The table is quite long, though not too wide. I’m hopeful it can be just as comfortable as the space in Montmirail. Here there is much more of the out of doors to welcome activity.