Tag: art

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Champagne, Essoyes, and Renoir

Yesterday, the painterly lot of us decided to go see Renoir’s Home in The village of Essoyes. My car got sidetracked as soon as we spotted the vineyards. We knew it meant one thing, Champagne! So, when we came up to our first vineyard, and the chorus sung Please stop, I did.

After a tasting…I had no idea pink champagne was a real thing…we left with the trunk jingling. When you can buy a big bottle of the best for 14 Euros, you do! So much thanks to Matilda, who provided a loving explanation of her families long history and of the process, in English. She explained that she’d just spent time in Australia, really, but not waltzing.

On the road again, we caught up with the other car in Essoyes. They had chosen the perfect bistro on the river for lunch. I very much enjoyed duck confit with a fresh salad and sharing a creme brûlée, my first one here.

Once we’d eaten and enjoyed our expressos, there is no way to rush in these little villages and I love it, we were off in search of Renoir. Here’s what we found.

1. The houses in these old villages go cheaply.

2. His studio, above was super cute both up and down.

3. His house was not a typical small village home it was very well appointed and lovingly cared for. Credit to his wife, for sure.

I fell in love with the lace curtains!

4. His gravesite was not the most beautiful thing in the graveyard.

5. The river that he used to paint beside is in fact incredibly beautiful and peaceful.

It seems there are no bad days in the Champagne region of France!

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Brocante and Joinville

Yesterday, as planned, all of the artists at Chateau Orquevaux hopped into cars and headed convoy-style to shop a couple of brocantes.

We browsed stalls and soaked in the jumble. The difference between a brocante and a typical western garage sale is that at a brocante you can find a tool or piece of art from the early 1800’s next to a Limoges tea set, next to a made in China plastic toy.
I found an ancient pair of reading glasses, some traditional French linens, some lovely buttons and tin of old papers with which to collage. When I got back to the chateau I found it quite disturbing that the tin contained relics of a deceased man’s life. Letters, passports, pictures, readers, a pill case with a pill still in it, and his obituary. This was the detritus of a life, the things one saves. Private things that shouldn’t be sold at a garage sale, but apparently at a brocante, might turn up. I sat with this tin a long while at the Chateau. I know the face and name of the divorced man, and I know the faces and names of his children. I felt called on to paint him, in forgiveness for inadvertently purchasing his personal remnants. I may choose not to collage his paperwork, I don’t know yet. The bonfire last night seemed to be calling for him but I wasn’t ready to let it go. I’ll figure it out.

I’m happy with the linens. They’re in great shape and will become surfaces for art. Except the red striped towels. I bought them for that but their value lies someplace else. They are heavy, whole, and still meant for the kitchen.

Finished at the brocante and feeling a thirst and hunger, we drove into central Joinville. This is a picturesque town with shops, a cafe or two and a bakery. The baguettes and croissants here are so light and buttery that it is no wonder they are a French staple! We made our way past the bakery, however, and into a Bar/Restaurant for a delicious lunch. I had a crepe filled with goat cheese and fresh basil. Honey was drizzled on top and it was accompanied by a small salad. Heaven! And a new use for honey. Honey and soft goat cheese are perfection together.

After cafe creme we walked up and into the church. It was built in 1544 and is quite remarkably. The ceilings gave it a Roman feel, the stained glass added colour and story, the statue of Mary provided gentleness, and the angel striking down from the heavens contacted that. A turn and a walk toward the back of the church showed off the magnificent organ pipes and a relief that was carved in 1567. My goodness, belief has power! I would say that the church was just as artfully beautiful as it was awesomely fearsome.

Next up was a stop at the Poisson Karsts. After so much rain it was a surprise to see how dry this particular area was. The area is a winding drive up a narrow road (that is a thing here) before a quick walk to view the karsts. Karsts have something to do with springs underground drainage, caves, limestone, and calcium. I wasn’t able to figure out much about what I was seeing because of my lack of French but I could see what looked to be caverns. I also noticed that mountain bikers had shaped and enjoyed the terrain.

There is so much to explore here in just this small corner of France!

We ended the day with a bonfire at the front of the chateau. With the river and falls behind me, I could imagine the ocean sounds I’m used to for a minute. This place, has a different beauty than the ocean, mountains and forests I know. It has the accessible remnants of a very human history. It has rivers in canals, green rolling hills, and forests of young growth. It is alive despite it’s patina.

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Chateau Orquevaux Artist Residency

After Paris, I rented a little car. Doing this from home, before I left, was much more economical than doing it as a walk up. I used sixt and this was what was waiting for me when I arrived. A brand new Citroen.

The Chateau is a dream! It’s the vision of Ziggy Atticus. He’s an artist, originally from New York, who is now creating an oasis for artists in this beautiful French hamlet.

A family of coypus are what create the dirt piles in the foreground.

The bedroom I’m in is just gorgeous!

It looks out over and beyond the scene above.

There are chickens for fresh eggs and goats for cuddling. (They smell exactly like goat cheese)

When I’m not enjoying the little village and the grounds,

I paint! That’s why I received the scholarship to be here, after all!

Ziggy jokingly said that he changes the locks after every residency but I think he actually might have to. It’s a perfect spot for anyone who loves to create!

I’m so grateful to have been chosen to attend while also receiving a scholarship to do so!

If you are interested in the residency you can apply through Instagram. Just post your work and tag Chateau Orquevaux. Dreams can come true.

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My Paris To do list 

1. Walk everywhere. But choose an adroitment or two to really get to know.
That way you take home a piece of Paris as yours. You’ve seen the sights, but when you can name shops and streets and gardens, you feel a part of it.

2.Choose a cafe, sit out front and sip. Relax. Give your tired feet a break. Everyday. Once or coffee, once for wine.
I’ve visited Starbucks in Canada, the USA, Peru, Bali, and now Paris. I love their products the free wifi, and the familiarity away from home. They’re the only big brand I look for in faraway places. In Paris, though, it just felt wrong. There are super cute cafes on every street where one could sip great coffee (or a glass of wine) and sit and watch, instead. I did some of that everyday of my visit. Go to the same spot, or try many. It’s all good.


3. Enjoy the Art Beyond the Louvre

After the Louvre, I visited three more wonderful galleries. Each was somehow more wonderful than the last. Here they are in order:

Musee d’Orsay

Musee d’Art moderne


Centre Pompidou

4. Walk Through the original Bon Marche

It’s an amazing place for food and clothes. Think mini boutiques for designers with phenomenal names.  You’ll definitely wish it was in your home neighbourhood, just like it is …. because everyone needs these!

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About the Louvre With Apologies to The Masters

  Originally, I had planned on visiting the Louvre every morning of my trip. I thought I would  get up early and just go and be with the beautiful paintings. I imagined sitting and gazing and sketching. I did go to the Louvre my first day ever in Paris, with those intentions, but Louvre reality was not my vision. 

  
The Louvre is huge. Huge even for a palace…I think…but I don’t really know palaces outside of  the one at Disneyland. And it’s got layers to it. Wide titanium white passages, ups, downs, and sideways, and amazing light letting ceiling on the top floor. And in this huge space are huge masterpieces; huge and dark masterpieces. I had a really hard time believing that the crushing crowd I was part of was being trusted around so much priceless art. It made me dizzy, or maybe that was the jet lag.

  I mentioned they were huge and dark, these masterpieces. I’ve long been enamoured with the idea that language is unique for each of us because we give each word a meaning that is constructed by our own experience. For me, I think I gave masterpiece a meaning something like….best of the best, beautiful, makes me feel wonder and awe in a lifting sense. My new meaning is a highly revered work painted by a man during dark times for women. 

  
 I didn’t enjoy them the way I’d anticipated, not even the Mona Lisa. 

  
They were like looking into an abyss. They were all about religion, warring, and reclining naked women often being suckled by really ugly man faced babies. (I didn’t,t take pictures of those).

 I guess I knew this is what was at the Louvre but seeing so many of these pieces together was startling. I thought a lot about what I was seeing in this collection and what it represented as a period in art history. I noted the absence of femal artists and I wondered what they would have painted. I recognized my personal love of light and colour were needs not being met. I became so grateful for living now, when I can compare art of different periods, turn on the lights, and be free to say, the work of the old masters doesn’t really appeal to me. 

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Paris And A Champagne Chateau

france-landmark-lights-night.jpgIt’s getting closer!!!! My art residency in France has me planning despite the disruption of my father’s heart attack and bypasses. I just can’t believe that I’ve been invited to witness France in the spring! I feel so blessed! And the rainbows lately, has anyone else been noticing them?

So, I’ve booked a teeny tiny sixth floor walk up in Paris for my pre residency week. My plan is to spend every morning (after a steamy hot chocolate and french pastry) in the Louvre. Those paintings have been waiting for me to come see them my whole life…. The Mona Lisa….

Funny story, not really mine to tell and you can guess what decade it happened in…the wonderful teacher next door to me was introducing her young students to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. She held up the Mona Lisa and asked her wide-eyed students if anyone knew who the lovely lady in the painting was. A little hand went up with I know! I know! and then it’s The Monica Lewinsky.

Ironic, isn’t it? The Mona Lisa, so famous for her little secret smile.

And seriously people, do we not all need to provide a huge apology to Monica and beg her forgiveness? She was so young, subservient, and publicly shamed and damned for something women now are seeking retribution for. I am so, so sorry for her pain. The

Mona Lisa’s smile, what did it really hide.

Da Vinci’s masterpiece is not all I’m looking forward to at the Louvre. My plan is to be surprised by what I love most once I’m there. I’ll weigh in on every wall and ask myself these questions:

Which painting catches my eye and draws me closer?

What is it about the painting that captured my attention?

Who painted it and when?

What does the painting make me feel?

I’ve always believed that the job of any artist is to communicate feeling effectively.

Last night I went and watched The Post. At first, I was a little bit bored, but the story drew me in. Meryl Steep and Tom Hanks; their angst, they drew me in. Tom Hanks, wife, the artist…the touchstone…the most honest character in the movie, her wisdom, her definition of courage will stick with me; and so will the faces of the young girls who turned to look at Meryl as she walked down those steps. Oscars for those three please. And if you haven’t seen the film, go. It’s an important movie.

When I left the theater I felt full. Full of thanks to Russia and Trump (keep reading) for waking up the voices of women who are saying ‘times up!’ It’s THE courage revolution that needed to happen in North America. And if you haven’t seen a news program on how Russia rigged the American election, it’s out there.

wedding-dress-bride-paris-602224.jpeg

When I’m finished in the Louvre each morning, I’m planning to walk the city. I have an old school map and I just want to take pictures and discover and love every moment of  my adventure in wonder and awe and gratitude. Before dark, I’ll  find my way to some food and then head up to the sixth floor to rest my feet and sketch and journal. vintage-kitchen-window-berlin.jpgI feel confident that this is how I want the days before the residency to be. It will be like fuelling up on French culture. I want my body and mind and soul filled with the place. I want my cells oozing before I get to the Chateau.

And then I’ll be ready for the stillness I find when I paint, and paint and paint.

Truly, A Dream Come True.

Château Orquevaux France

 

 

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How I Paint

  1. I like Golden paints. Their rich colours and variety are ready to go. I always start with heavy bodied paint and keep the colour wheel in mind. No mud. Drying time between layers.
  2. I begin by just making marks to get what is inside of me out. Sometimes I begin with collage. Sometimes I begin with huge charcoal toned sticks. I don’t usually need music in the background if I’m expressing what’s in my body. ‘It’ wants out. My hands want to dance the canvas. I can do this for as many layers as I have angst or joy.
  3. Music, the kind I find soul soothing, comes in handy for this next step of intentional paint play. Still using heavy body paint. Still just mark making fun.
  4. Dry now, the canvas has some life to it. Texture, colour, shapes. Usually, a lot of life! Sometimes too much life. At this point, I sit with it for a bit and see what comes up. I might see/feel something right away but I’m not disappointed to have to put it aside for weeks or months. I trust that something will eventually emerge.
  5. I set the content free. This is the exciting part. Sometimes it’s related to the layers before but sometimes it’s not. I just never really know what will show up or what will withdraw from the work.
  6. I add high viscosity colours, glazes, and drips. More play!
  7.  Finishing touches…edges, sides, details, etc… are my least favourite part. I usually feel ‘done’ before the canvas is finished. For me, this finishing is the drudgery that must happen for the viewer’s sake and I don’t paint for the viewer. I paint because I have to; it’s a birthing process that creates space and well being. It’s beautiful, cyclical, and creative, and very much like how a bulb or tuber, tree or flower sends forth it’s seed.cropped-img_31021.jpg
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Celebration Needs Music

IMG_4388July has been an exciting month. My daughter, the first of my three to wed, created her fairytale woodland wedding on the bank of the Koksilah River at the rustically beautiful Eagle’s Nest Sanctuary.   It was a misty day, perfect for pictures, perfect for fairy’s and their magic, perfect for sharing love. It was nothing short of beautiful. We laughed and we cried, we listened and spoke, we ate and we drank, we danced and we reminisced, and we remembered what romantic love for another can do.

My daughter, an ornithologist, is also an artist. She sings and plays guitar, banjo and uke. She is at her most joyous when she is creative.  And so, her band, Holy Crow, played at the wedding, her new husband standing or dancing nearby. It was a joyful, super fun celebration.

In my thesis on learning communities that I wrote in 2005, I spoke about the power of music and how it brings people together and fills their soul. I stick by it.

Yesterday I saw Tony Robbins in person for the first time at Vancouver’s Power of Success conference with my husband. I’d bought him the tickets for his birthday present this year. Tony provided three hours of peak performance training. For me, it was as much fun as a rock concert, and I love a good rock concert. Hello Tom Petty in Vancouver, August 17th! Thank-you children! Here’s why, music fills my soul up and makes it flower. Tony has a great, loud, soundtrack that everyone jumps to the beat. No, I am not too old, even at 56 soon to be 57 to jump around to great music. No such thing as too old. It was another joyful super fun celebration.

And then today. Today at the Vancouver Art Gallery I breathed in Monet‘s process; his colours, his strokes, his layers, the fragrance of his garden. Amazing. An then more came…Emily Carr‘s forest paintings…their rhythm, each of them a unique symphony, an opus, of temperate rain forest green’s. I was completely immersed in celebration for the rainforest. And then, I was ready to go home. Away from the city. To my quiet corner in the forest for which I am so very grateful.

While I write this, I am again filled with gratitude for my amazing month and if you follow me here or on instagram, you know that I know gratitude is the way to joy. Here’s the next tidbit.

Joy + Creative Exploration create the conditions for Interior Light; the light that wakes us up and opens us to love for self and love for others. This deep, knowing love allows me (and you) to walk in beauty and “beauty will save the world”.

I am a creativity coach.

I help people to reconnect with joy…and begin the next leg of this wonderful journey.

And, I am an artist.

I will always dive into my colours and begin new canvases, boards, paper, whatever. As I paint, I  welcome the music I  listen to and I allow it to fill my soul until it is my soul that is creating. Celebration needs music. Creating is soul celebration.

 

 

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Gratitude Attitude

It’s one of my favourite Instagram tags. I choose my tags based on truths, not popularity. An every morning, every night moment of practicing gratitude attitude has been something I have practiced for the past three years. It helped lift me out of the mire my ‘superwoman’ life doused me in. it takes very little and it feels very good. In fact, it lights me up and calls for breath.

In one of my earlier posts I shared the mantra that works for me. To it, I add little details. For example this morning, I found myself expressing gratitude for my pup that was curled up next to me understanding everything I say, think and feel and trying her very best to meet my many needs, but especially, my need for love. I also expressed gratitude for my home. The birds were singing outside my window, my bed was feeling super comfy, and although the sun has been scare her, it is a comfortable temperature, just

perfect for getting into the garden.

When I steep in gratitude, I don’t find myself wanting for things. I have what I need and that leaves me in a state of calm grace. I do find myself attracting, things though. Things like warm smiles, conversations with strangers, good ideas, and more enough…be it a small unexpected check in the mail, a heart-shaped rock, or a rainbow on a walk with my dog.

This is also IMG_1842the attitude of the people I met in Bali. They were happy in place. Satisfied with the beauty of their tropical paradise. Through daily prayer and their Hindu traditions, they have found gratitude and satisfaction. Their way of being is good for earth, good for health, and
good for each other.

I urge you to make time for the daily gratitude attitude. Put it into your prayers or make it your prayers. Let life know what it is doing right for you so that it can continue to do it. Let appreciative inquiry shape everything you do. This one simple act will change you substantively.