A Painters Journey

My second time painting in France at La Bonne Etoile occured last September. The previous year we had experienced a heat wave in August so I chose September to make sure that didn't happen again. It sure didn't...this year I had to buy a down jacket while visiting Barbizon! Fortunately, it was on sale and extremely packable so I really didn't mind. The cool, partly sunny, sometimes rainy, sometimes windy and sometimes all three in the space of an hour weather made us seek the comfort of the studio more often than not. That's the beauty of La Bonne Etoile. With the two weeks time frame, you can unpack your bags and supplies and paint according to your own schedule. Instruction is given each morning (unless we have a trip planned) and the rest of the time you are free to paint in studio or outdoors, or just sit and read an art book. We have a schedule, but it can easily be adapted if the weather changes or an interesting opportunity presents itself.

Read my blog from last year to hear more about the wonderful food and see more pictures of the village, but meanwhile here are a few photos from the 2017 workshop:

After selecting my room, catching a quick nap, and checking out the studio, Kippy and I went plein air painting....

The gang's all here! Gleaning the sunflower fields for our still life set-up,  and Diana and Lucy enjoying a pre-dinner hike around the village.

Some local scenes...

And opportunities to meet the locals!

We took a one day trip to Paris and scattered to do what we wanted. Lucy and I spent most of our time in the Musee D'Orsey. Where else can you see all of Monet's Notre Dame paintings hung together?!!! However, the up-side-down painting was in a special exhibit of Cezanne's portraits.  That's an unfinished portrait of Cezanne's mother and it really was hung upside down! I didn't take the time to translate the French but this show has traveled to the National Gallery of Art in DC so maybe I can find out why. 

One day we day-tripped to the medieval town of Troyes. We spied this church on top of a hill on the way and stopped to take photos of the dramatic scene. The garden is attached to an ancient cathedral and dedicated to unbaptized infants. Everything that blooms in it is white.

Another day we attempted some plein air painting but were driven indoors by the rain. Luckily the town of  Nogent-sur-Seine was only 10 minutes away where we took shelter in the fabulous new Camille Claudel museum.  And on the way home we stopped by a small roadside chapel in the next village of Trainel  where we enjoyed the sculpture of  Alfred Boucher , who was a mentor to Claudel and friend of Auguste Rodin. With the afternoon light coming in the small window and touching the face of the soldier, it was very moving.  Art is everywhere!

My new personal favorite day trip was to the village of Barbizon, the birthplace of outdoor painting. After a picnic in the Forest of Fontainbleu  we painted in one of Corot's favorite locations (!!!!) and then toured the Ganne Museum which is an old boarding house where the painters from Paris would stay. When they were bored, or when they owed board, they would paint and sketch on the walls. We were too late to visit Millet's studio...next time.

The two weeks always ends with a dress-up exhibition called a vernissage where the students show their work and Kippy and Jerome invite friends from the surrounding villages. This year we were honored with a special guest, Gilbert Shelton, a well-known cartoonist from the US who lives near-by. Gilbert entertained us with his other talent...jazz piano.

Once again it was a special time where we made new friends, enjoyed being with old friends, explored our inner artist, and grew from our exposure to another culture.  Fontaine-Fourches is not in a tourist region but it is an area rich in art, authentic French living and abundant beauty. I'm grateful for the opportunity to teach at La Bonne Eotile and I look forward to 2018. (August 4- 18,2018) Join us?