Paintings by Blair + Laurie Fox PESSEMIER: Artnotes: Discovery

On the beach at St. Malo Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic on wood 5.5 x 13 inches

View of St. Malo Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic on wood 7 x 13 inches

Sea and Clouds Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic on wood 7 x 13 inches

View of St Malo Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 12 x 12 inches

Two on the Beach Blair Pessemier Acrylic/wood 7 x 9.5 inches

Artnotes: Discovery

The scale of man-made objects in Brittany is different than the rest of France. Huge stone walls and granite houses guard against the powerful sea. It is hard to image that centuries ago these fortresses were constructed by the hands of men. We were in St Malo this weekend, where pirates and corsairs commissioned by the king left to fight the other super-powers of the sea, the Dutch and English. Frigates have given way to sailing schools, but the effect of blue and white still predominates.

The sky is bigger in Brittany and clouds fly by as fast as the sea birds. Fluffy white clouds resemble horses and dogs and babies in the sky. The blue is a clear, clean blue which imparts its deep color on the ocean.

We painted a few small works while we were there. It was a big painting week for us.

We had a workshop on Thursday, and for the first time, painted along the “new quai” in Paris. This summer the city closed the banks of the Seine where the cars used to pass, to create a pedestrian walkway. We settled in beside the Pont Alexandre III for a painting session. Conveniently located railroad ties made neat seats as we sat and painted. There were tables to play chess and parchesi, backgammon and Chinese checkers. The fragrances from the food stands were alluring. We ran into people we knew there, who seemed as delighted as we were about the urban improvements.

We managed a picture or two at the Luxembourg Gardens on Monday, with a novice painter who turned out to be pretty good. He fell into a near zen state as painting took over his being. People are always surprised how compelling the act of painting can be – for us, it’s a great feeling when someone else discovers art.