Homme de la Renaissance or The Renaissance Man. We hear of him but often there doesn’t seem to be much convincing evidence of his existence in the 21st Century. Yet there is such a man who walks among us here in the south of France. I am privileged to know one and fortunate enough to witness some of his many talents on a regular basis. Patric was born in Lyon and moved to this area in 1975. He has two sons and two daughters with 7 grandchildren and one on the way. He lives in a nearby village in an Eco home which he designed and built on his own. He is a vegetarian and grows much of his own food. Just who is this man? Is he a musician? A writer? An artist? Yes! He is all of these and so much more. It was my first year in France when I met Patric. For insurance purposes, you must obtain a certificate from a chimney sweep, each year, that your fireplace has been cleaned and is safe to operate. I asked around and the number I was given was for Patric. He swept chimneys for 32 years and just retired two years ago.
Left by Arlette Mouton et Patric – Right by Shemon Ben Youssef
Music: Patric can play any instrument that he comes in contact with. He also teaches music. Art: Patric studied at Ecole Boulle in Paris. Among his many talents, he is an accomplished wood craftsman, glassblower, painter, and photographer. He enjoys drawing with pen & ink. Patric has worked as a Wood crafter for eight years, at Masonry for five years while still making himself available for his other passions. His love of nature has motivated him to combine sketches and photographs with his writings into a book about edible plants. Perhaps if there is sufficient interest, I shall post further on the book when it is released. Patric loves to travel and related a story of when he was 17 years old how he rode a bicycle with a small motor all the way to Morocco. He has seven cats and his nickname is Patou which is a big shaggy dog found in the Pyrenees. The paintings were done by various artists with the exception of the self-portrait with the clock. Patric has had postcards made from them and uses those as his business cards. While the supply is dwindling, he quickly brought me all the ones I did not have after I saw him in Albas recently. Please do click on the photos so that you can see them better. When I saw Patric last week, I asked him if I could do a post and have him give me some information. For all his accomplishments, he is a modest man. Had it not been for his partner, I would not have had half the details you see here. She was generous and patient to spend the time with me to uncover some of Patric’s many gifts.
Bisous,
Léa
Patric at Bio MarchePatric with fellow musician at AlbasDrawing by Violette Vincent/ Painting by Sabine DelrieuLeft by Shemon Ben Youssef / Right by Brian de CarvailhoPatric – A self-portrait
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” – Diane Duane
“Reading brings us unknown friends.” – Honoré de Balzac
While still in Montolieu and having toured the Conservatory of Book Arts & Crafts, we were in serious need of refreshments and then there are books to be discovered. We were in luck as just across from the museum was a charming tea shop/bookstore. On this particular day, the books were to wait as we indulged in the tea and delicious cakes. The cakes to choose from on that day were chocolate or chestnut. The small tea cakes had been baked in a rose shaped mold, were moist and delicious. While I am a chocoholic, I choose the chestnut one and it was amazing. Nathalie is a gracious host and as we left we met one of the resident cats. After all, what is a bookstore without a cat or two in residence?Montolieu has much to offer. There are numerous shops, cafés, museums, courses on paper and book making and don’t forget all those bookstores! While admittedly most books are in French, there are numerous other languages represented as well as collectibles. My personal policy is that I “must” find a collection o poems by a French poet each visit. My collection grows and it is also part of my French learning I assigned myself. If you are into books, reading or writing, there is something here for you. If not, it is a beautiful place to stroll and have a picnic.
Besides having the books and tea shop, like many shops in the village there is a good selection of regional products available. When you visit Montolieu, stop in and meet Nathalie and Stéphane.
Bisous,
Livres, books, livres, books…
Léa
Flowers & Cakes!
Tea room side of the shop – Nathalie and YvonneReady?Special blends on offerView from the bridge across the roadA great place for a picnic!
“Until I feared to lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” – Harper Lee
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… the man who never reads lives but one.” – Georger R.R. Martin
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” – Ray Bradbury
Le musée
When my friend Yvonne pops over from London, we often find ourselves off to explore. This particular adventure was back to Montolieu – Village du Livre (Village of Books).
While I could spend endless days in the beautiful village of books, we had a limited amount of time this trip and the museum was the focus of this trip. If you would like to see more of the village, I recommend checking out my post of 12/12/2011. Or best of all, visit Montolieu yourself!
Located in Montagne Noir (Black Mountains) this small village (pop: 1,400) has 23 bookshops. Each Autumn, they host an ancient book festival. Naturally, as one might expect, such a village is popular with artists and there are a number of small galleries.
Le musée traces the history of print from Pictographs to the Alphabet, from Clay to Paper and the invention of Typography (1454), Linotype (1884), Monotype (1887), Stanhope Press (early 19th century) and so much more.
30,000 BCE: Pictographs are pictures and symbols and represent the first written forms. Concepts are represented by figures and scenes.
4,000 BCE: Ideograms/ideographs are a logographic writing system in which graphic symbols are used to represent words. They originated in Egypt and China where ideograms evolved into its current stylised script system.
1,300 BCE: The Phoenicians invent and disseminate the first alphabet. A limited number of letters that they allowed for the formation of sounds.
1,000 BCE: The Greeks adopt the Phoenician alphabet that they then adapt to their language by introducing vowels.
700 BCE: The Latin or Roman alphabet appears as an adaption of the Etruscan alphabet which had been borrowed from Greek colonists in Italy. Today, the Latin alphabet is the most widely used in the world.
The earliest materials for writing were stones, shells, wood and even tortoiseshells.
4,000BCE: Mesopotamian clay and the tool used was the “calame” or reed stylus.
3,000 BCE: Egyptian papyrus, a plant found along the banks of the Nile. The “calame” or stylus is made from a blend of soot and resin.
200 BCE: Parchment, is animal skin (goat, calf, sheep…) which has been specially prepared for writing. The writing tool of tis period is a goose feather quill. Ink is made from a compound of vegetable and mineral pigments with egg white as a binding agent.
105 CE: Paper was invented in China by Ts’ai Lun. It was made from vegetable fibre which was reduced to a paste. The process stayed a secret until 751 CE and later introduced in Europe by the Arabs.
Middle Ages: The majority of the population was illiterate and books were rare and precious objects. Therefore, the thoughts they contained were not widely known. In monasteries, monks copied and recopied the manuscripts with each copy errors
compounded and diminished the original meaning of the text.
1454 Invention of Typography:
The German metal-worker/inventor, Johann Gutenberg combined lead, antimony and tin creating an alloy which could be used repeatedly. Gutenberg is generally credited with perfecting metal moveable type.
Linotype: Invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1884 and
produced solid lines of text case from rows of matrices. The line-composing operation was accomplished by means of a keyboard similar to that of a typewriter. However, it was much faster than hand-set typesetting and permitted the wide circulation of printed material. It was primarily used for the composition of newspapers.
Monotype: Another type of hot metal composition which appeared in 1887.
Stanhope Press: This press appears at the beginning of the 19th century, and consists of a massive cast-iron frame. It replaces wood presses, but
impressions are still made page by page and inking remains manual.
Plate Press: This press appears in the middle of the 19th century and increases the speed at which printed matter can be produced. The carriage is flat and pedal-driven and rubber ink rollers. It is fed manually.
Heidelberg Press: Appears in the early 20th century. With its high speed cylinder press and an automatic feeding and placing device which pivoting racks pick
up the paper by the use of suction to the entire surface.
Nebiolo Cylinder Press: First appears in the 1940’s. The base is no longer vertical and fixed, but horizontal and mobile. Print form moves under the cylinder to which the paper is attached.
Lithography: Makes its appearance in the late 18th century and gives birth to Offset in the 20th century. This method is based on the chemical repellence of oil and water.
Massicot: This cutting device was perfected by Claude Massicot and allows for clean cuts for reams of paper.
As you might easily imagine, there is much more to see in this museum than can be covered here in a single post. If you plan to visit the south of France, a trip to Montolieu is well worth the visit.
Bisous,
Léa
BookpressAlphabetMaking art accessible to the masses
Homme de la Renaissance or The Renaissance Man. We hear of him but often there doesn’t seem to be much convincing evidence of his existence in the 21st Century. Yet there is such a man who walks among us here in the south of France. I am privileged to know one and fortunate enough to witness some of his many talents on a regular basis. Patric was born in Lyon and moved to this area in 1975. He has two sons and two daughters with 7 grandchildren and one on the way. He lives in a nearby village in an Eco home which he designed and built on his own. He is a vegetarian and grows much of his own food. Just who is this man? Is he a musician? A writer? An artist? Yes! He is all of these and so much more. It was my first year in France when I met Patric. For insurance purposes you must obtain a certificate from a chimney sweep, each year, that your fireplace has been cleaned and is safe to operate. I asked around and the number I was given was for Patric. He swept chimneys for 32 years and just retired two years ago.
Left by Arlette Mouton et Patric – Right by Shemon Ben Youssef
Music: Patric can play any instrument that he comes in contact with. He also teaches music. Art: Patric studied at Ecole Boulle in Paris. Among his many talents, he is an accomplished wood craftsman, glassblower, painter, and photographer. He enjoys drawing with pen & ink. Patric has worked as a Wood crafter for eight years, at Masonry for five years while still making himself available for his other passions. His love of nature has motivated him to combine sketches and photographs with his writings into a book about edible plants. Perhaps if there is sufficient interest, I shall post further on the book when it is released. Patric loves to travel and related a story of when he was 17 years old how he rode a bicycle with a small motor all the way to Morocco. He has seven cats and his nickname is Patou which is a big shaggy dog found in the Pyrenees. The paintings were done by various artists with the exception of the self-portrait with the clock. Patric has had postcards made from them and uses those as his business cards. While the supply is dwindling, he quickly brought me all the ones I did not have after I saw him in Albas recently. Please do click on the photos so that you can see them better. When I saw Patric last week, I asked him if I could do a post and have him give me some information. For all his accomplishments, he is a modest man. Had it not been for his partner, I would not have had half the details you see here. She was generous and most patient to spend the time with me to uncover some of Patric’s many gifts. Bisous, Léa
Patric at Bio MarchePatric with fellow musician at AlbasDrawing by Violette Vincent/ Painting by Sabine DelrieuLeft by Shemon Ben Youssef / Right by Brian de CarvailhoPatric – A self-portrait
Lyon is one of my favourite cities, not just because it hosts the annual Quais du Polar crime festival. Yet, no matter how often I come here, I never seem to have enough time to visit everything. So I was determined to do two completely new things this ‘weekend of adieus’: see a show in […]
As promised, there is more to be seen from the exhibit in Cailhau. I shall provide links to the artists when possible and otherwise refer you to the Artist’s Collective website.artcailhau.blogspot.com and for those of you on Facebook, here is their link: facebook.com/cailhauartistes
This first photo is one of a few that are at Atelier galerie Al Trial which is where we left off in Part 1.
Tsk, tsk, I cannot imagine a studio of my own being so organized! I do happen to have a number of friends who are artists and shall we say that I would not be alone…
As we move from Atelier to Atelier we do so in a group. Now we move on to Atelier Du Verrier were we can see the Bijoux (jewellery) and Objet d’art by Matthew Millar.
Matthew can answer your questions via email at matthewmillar@outlook.com
It took me a moment to notice the bicycle up against the old house in the work above. I do believe it is the piece I like the most among his work.
Bijoux!
Our next stop is Atelier boutique L’Ecurie de Pépé. Christine welcomes us into her space which is vibrant and warm. You can contact Christine at christine.dauris@orange.fr
Christine D. with one of her creations
Our next and final stop for this post will be Maison A.
Barbara Dordi
This poetry book is all hand made/sewn. The watercolours blend with the words. The work, meticulous. You can check out Barbara at http://www.barbaradardi.blogspot.com
Cover close-up!
Barbara is a poet/author and ceramicist.
Handmade books are unique!Song of the Shirt
The Song of the Shirt was written by Thomas Hood in 1843 to honour a widow who sewed to feed her young children. If you want to know more of the story, check out the following link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_the_Shirt
In the above photo you can find the poem interspersed with photos of early 20th century women in sweat shops making shirts. The first verse of the poem is here for you.
Song of the Shirt
With fingers weary and worn, With eyelids heavy and red, A woman sat in unwomanly rags, Plying her needle and thread— Stitch! stitch! stitch! In poverty, hunger, and dirt, And still with a voice of dolorous pitch She sang the “Song of the Shirt.”
“Work! work! work! While the cock is crowing aloof! And work—work—work, Till the stars shine through the roof! It’s O! to be a slave Along with the barbarous Turk, Where woman has never a soul to save, If this is Christian work!
“Work—work—work, Till the brain begins to swim; Work—work—work,
Please forgive the quality of these photos. I do not have others of these last two photographs but did want to show this piece.
While the birds themselves were creative, if you look closely in the above photo you will find the small man. With the appearance of someone on back of the bird soaring higher I was swept away by this evocative piece. I also use this piece to close the series from Cailhau. I’ve no doubt we shall return.
Over eight years ago when I was in my early days of the hunt for a house to call home, I briefly visited the village of Cailhau. The house I had been taken to see required more work than I was looking to do but the village seemed to have much to be proud of. However, I should have explored more as there are treasures to behold. The artist community is thriving there and I have finally made it to one of their events. I may have to return soon.
I followed the path and found the first gallery of my journey. “La Bohème”, While I managed to snap a few photos, it was lunchtime and being France, it was closing until late afternoon. Happily I have a few pieces to show from here. There is much more information available on the artists collective if you visit their blog, artcailhau.blogspot.com or if you are on Facebook you can visit at facebook.com/cailhauartistes
Artists of Cailhau carry on in the illustrious footsteps of a great artist who lived in the village and whose family still do. The group of artists that reside there are continuing the path of the earliest well known artist from Cailhau. Archille Laugé (1861-1944) moved to Cailhau in his youth with his parents. Despite his father’s wishes that he study Pharmacy in Toulouse in 1878, he followed his heart enrolling at the Beaux-Arts where he met the artist Bourdelle. At Beaux-Arts he came in contact with artists Alexandre Cabanal (1823-1889), Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921), and Aristide Maillot (1861-1944) and the two were to become lifelong friends. He made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1884 with a depiction of his friend Bourdelle.
Four years later, he left Paris and returned to Cailhau. He made many friends among the locals. During his time in Paris he adopted the divisionist touch of the Neo-Impressionists under the influence of Georges Seurat (1859-1891), he also had a high regard for the works of both Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) and Paul Signac (1863-1935).
Archille Laughé: Reproduction’s available in Cailhau
Laugé’s paintings and compositions reflect the harsh sunlight so prevalent in the south. Like a number of his contemporaries whose work followed a similar vein, Henri-Edmond Cross ( 1856-1910), Henri Martin (1860-1943) he too was drawn further south continuing to work in and around the area of Collioure. Collioure, the beachside village that charmed Picasso, van Gogh, Cézanne and many more continues to inspire artists and is a must if you are in the south of France.
In 1894 three of his paintings were exhibited at the Salon des Independants, additionally, a number of works at an exhibition which included Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947), Paul Sérusier (1863-1927), Henri de Toulouse -Lautrec (1864-1901) and Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940) in Toulouse. There is much more about the artist available online. Today his great-granddaughter continues to live in Cailhau.
La Bohème Gallérie
Christine D.
Christine’s creations are available at her Atelier/Boutique located in the centre of the village or you can email her directly at christine.daunis@orange.fr Additionally there is the Art Collective site as listed in the beginning of this post.
Atelier Du Verrier
Bijoux by Matthew/Objet d’art by Matthew
These pieces were on display at the foyer. However, we shall get to his private gallery but most likely in a later post.
Vincent Langlard
You can find Vincent on the Art Collective site and at his private site http://www.vlang.net
There is more of his work in a future post.
Anne de Vylder
More of Anne’s work can be viewed on her site or by visiting Atelier Al Trial.
Le jardin de JürgenLe jardin de JürgenLes Sculptures de JürgenLes Sculptures de JürgenLes Sculptures de JürgenLe sculpture de Jürgen Le sculpture de Jürgen Le jardin et maison de Jürgen
While Jürgen Engels passed on in January, his wife has graciously made their garden and some of Jürgen’s work available for us to see. While some of his work is still for sale, I did not find contact information. If you are interested I would contact the collective site or one of the other artists.
Atelier Al TrialAtelier Al Trial
There is more to see and inspire at Atelier Al Trial in a future post.
Mireille Fourmont
You can find Mireille’s work at Atelier Al Trial, on the main website for the collective or her own personal site: http://www.mireillefourmont.fr
Unfortunately, not all artists had contact information available and I was referred to the collective site. I have been on the site a few times trying to identify some of the work. Alas some of the individual sites are temporarily down. Hopefully that will soon be rectified.
In my experience, these art exhibits have something for everyone. I do hope you found something that appealed to you or perhaps some inspiration?
Yes, we just went down these same paths last week, but I went back on Market Day and thought you might like to see it for yourselves. I hope you don’t mind re-visiting so soon.
Les Halles
The vendors commence right up to the road and to the canal. There are many vendors on both sides of the canal and most anything is on offer. How is your French? You can haggle down a price on some goods and some of the vendors speak more than one language.
Bijoux?
As you can see from this photo, table coverings must be sufficiently weighted down or clamped. When the Mediterranean winds kick in, things can become airborne.
Les Halles
While Les Halles is only closed about two or three days in the entire year, it’s vendors are finished and closed up by noon. The restaurants serve lunch but close up afterwards and do not serve any other meal.
Fresh spices anyone? Ah, the aroma…
Until you have bought and used fresh spices in your cooking, it is hard to know what you are missing.
Lavande
I do love Lavande (Lavender). There are sachets in several drawers and with the linens. Once I read that if you put it under or next to your pillow it would sweeten your dreams and it can be comforting if you are lying down with a headache.
Purses, caps…Pantalons…A typo or ?
Yes, these are on mens sport socks and I’m afraid that I just couldn’t resist including the photo.
Les écharpes
I keep telling myself to buy one. Alas, I wear them so infrequently. They do provide a lot of colour for the price.
Les vetements
The clothes are a big clue as to the season. The next few photos leave no doubt.
Plants and fresh cut flowers abound!Couleur de printempsLes fleursCafé ou rosé?
After all that shopping it is time for an aperitif…or perhaps lunch? There are many restaurants that would be happy to serve you.
Despite the plaza being filled with items for sale, this is only a small part of the Thursday market. Not far off there is a parking lot that is set aside each Thursday morning for Marché and in addition to what is offered here, there is also have fresh produce, cheeses, and other assorted foods.
“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved — loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” -Victor Hugo
Anyone who has experienced the delights of Paris knows there are more than can be attended in one visit. Monsieur Hugo lived in the second floor apartment of Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée from 1832 to 1848. During those 16 years, he wrote several of his major works including a large part of Les Misérables (a personal favorite).
While touring number 6 place des Vosges you will observe some of Hugo’s furniture, samples of his writing, drawings, family portraits, and first editions of his work. Additionally, you will see a painting of Hugo’s funeral procession at the Arc de Triomphe. The Chinese salon from his home on Guernsey (years of exile) has been reassembled here.
Despite the fact that Hugo spent a number of years in exile, his funeral was a national event and he was buried in the Panthéon.
One of the most important of French Romantic writers, Hugo was a poet, dramatist and novelist. His best known works include Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
TheCertifiablyTRUERavingsOfASectionedPhilosopher: Don't be afraid to think you might be a little 'crazy'. Who isn't? Check out some of my visualized poems here: https://www.instagram.com/maxismaddened/
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