Artnotes: To Follow

 

White Pony   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/crayon/canvas   22 x 27"  56 x 75 cm  600 00

We’re winding up our artists residency at Maison de Simon this week.  We decided to have an “open studio” this weekend to share what we produced with the community.   This is just Saturday, in early March, with very little notice, and we had more than 20 people stop by to see us. We are at that point of writing our impressions in the guest book – something I never relish, despite the fact I write about 500 words a week.  It seems final, and as if the experience were to stop.  But for me, I am taking away things that will motivate me in future:  painting large; making the biggest room in our house into the studio; assembling a book of all the art we produced around this residency.  It’s like a launching pad for our next year of work.   It clears my mind to start anew.

Trimmed Trees      Field at Dawn   Acrylic/crayon/cardboard  approx. 10 x 14"  100 each  the pair 175.00

We have met new people and made new friends.  All of this reinforces my philosophy that one must “get out” to have things happen in life.   My only regrets in life are for things I didn’t do.   We used to always take a trip of this length in the winter:  Collioure, Villefranche-sur-Mer,  Cervo, Sicily, Venice…  it was such a boost to ourselves, our art, our sales.

Along the Rosey      Sunrise   Acrylic/crayon/cardboard  approx. 10 x 14"  100 each  the pair 175.00

I  had some crazy expectations for this trip, which were immediately debunked – we got three commissions as soon as we arrived.  Those commissions were for very large pieces of art, and it sent me in a direction of painting large canvases, and icon-like characters.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the landscape so inspiring, and produced a number of plein-air paintings and sketches.  And here I am four weeks into the experience, and I feel I am just reaching my stride.   I am flying.

Quince Blossoms   Laurie  Pessemier   Acrylic/crayon/cardboard  14 x 10"  35 x 25cm  100.00

It hasn’t been without some challenges – driving to Paris to get supplies;  finding the right kind of dogfood; being a little bit lonesome – it was February after all, and not a lot of people were hanging out at the little café.  But we’ve weathered the storm, and frankly, Blair and Berlino were just happy as clams (who needs dog food when one can eat hotdogs?).  We eat scallops.

We are already talking about where all of this will lead.  Will we be here next year?  We’ve passed along the idea to artistic friends, and hopefully someone will follow in our footsteps.