I have been living in France on and off for 30 years, and trying to learn the language for most of that time...very slowly. I have a very poor knowledge of grammer (70's schooling) and a reasonable vocabulary can only get you so far without a sound understanding of grammer to back it up. This means that making friends over here is also a slow business, especially in a small town where people can be anxious about engaging you in conversation because of the effort needed to keep the conversation going. Last year however, I organised an mixed exhibiton of Brighton artists and we showed at a Chateau in the next town. This got some local publicity and all of a sudden people were able to identify me as an artist. As far as they were concerned, this probably explained a lot! But it has meant that people are now more chatty...they know what they can talk about and next month I have been asked to show my work in the local Expositon d'Art at the Salle des Fetes, which means the chance of meeting more like minded people.
One of the local artists that I met through doing the exhibition at the Chateau de Bosmelet is a lovely lady called Gabrielle. She is a painter, and teaches art in Dieppe. She also organises many of the local exhibitions. She does that difficult thing of trying to work, look after a family and make paintings...I never know how people can do all three..what a juggling act.
Anyway, here are a couple of her paintings,
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| Le Fichu Rouge |
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| La Bonne Mere |
She also nipped over to my studio yesterday and drew me while I was constructing a sculpture
It's my hair she wants in the painting really!
Meanwhiled the action in the studio is hotting up. I'm still keeping to my daily list of things that
have to be done before I can stop for the day.
This week I had a glaze firing out
and a bisq firing in. Sometimes packing the kiln with my spiky things can be fraught, they are not always easy to fit in and can end up perched on wobbly shelves.
Next weekend I will showing with Four Walls at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea.
http://www.affordableartfair.com/
http://www.four-walls.co.uk/
and a bisq firing in. Sometimes packing the kiln with my spiky things can be fraught, they are not always easy to fit in and can end up perched on wobbly shelves.
Great post Fran! Talk about juggling...it must be a nightmare getting all those spikey things into the kiln. Maybe you could take up round smooth shapes instead...hmmm...no I didn't think that you would. See you at the Affordable. Colin and the other Fran.
ReplyDeleteThanks Colin...don't think I'd know what to do with a round smooth shape! Enjoy the Affordable..I have to stay over here, nose to the grindstone. F x
ReplyDeleteI like the drawing of you Fran, she has captured it really well. Its all looking good!
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