Net repair Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 16 x 24 inches
First swimmer 2014 Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 16.5 x 11
Tidal Pool Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 11 x 16.5 inches
Tree on the Path Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 9 x 11 inches SOLD
White Light January 1 Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 11 x 16.5
Beachcombers Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 9 x 11 inches
Swimmers Laurie Fox Pessemier Acyrlic/canvas 11 x 9
View of the Bay/Cap Ferrat Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 24 x 18 inches
Downtown Villefranche Blair Pessemier SOLD
Artnotes: Happy New Year
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I
went into the sea on the 1 January: the
best way to start the new year 2014.
There were other people who actually swam – a French woman went in her
swimsuit. It was like magic: the sun peeped out from behind a cloud and
made little diamonds of white light where she created ripples. My first painting of the year was of Blair
and Harika beach-combing together; thankfully they have different
priorities. I found my second boating
flag washed up on the beach, this time red white and blue stripes (C:
Charlie; yes/affirmative; or when in regatta, changing course) . The other, which I found three days ago was
large blue and white squares –oddly enough, N:
November; no/negative. Abandon
and re-sail (regatta).
This of course, is interesting to me as we pursue our
bateau-atelier idea. Yes or no? My business plan is percolating along. The big question seems to be where, as in
France (near Giverny), or in the USA (I fear insurance costs could kill
it). Our mission statement as follows:
To earn money by recreating a boat similar to Monet’s Studio/boat and offer painting workshops on
the vessel. The Bateau-Atelier could also be used as a floating art gallery to
bring our paintings to fairs and events in areas by water. It would also be rentable for dinners and
small events.
I’ve much time to THINK as more rain is predicted. Meanwhile, we rented a car.
So, like coyotes, we’re adapting to our environment: we drive
fast on winding roads, play the radio, run the heat, honk the horn (well, Blair
doesn’t honk, I would, if I drove).
Our first foray was to see where Renoir lived – his house has just been
renovated and it’s super nice. It’s how
you might imagine his house: set among
the olive trees, light interior with art nouveau-ish (he was just a tad early),
soft paint colors. We can actually
paint on the grounds, were it ever to stop raining.
I felt terrifically inspired, and I felt even better about
some of my recent work that I wasn’t sure of.
We are hoping to return there today (Sunday) to paint, if the weather
clears slightly, as it is predicted.
We visited to other marvelous museums: the Fernand Leger
Museum in Biot and the Chagall Museum in Nice.
Fernand Leger was a product of the cubist movement, but preferred a sort
of “genre” painting. He painted large
people, thick fingers, often with bicycles, decidedly French. The work they had on display was huge: five by six foot canvases, on average, I
would estimate. The building was a
tribute to his epoch: made in what I
would describe as a communist-looking 60s style. He lived through World War I and II, and died
in 1955. The building was big, square,
open-spaced simply ideal for his work.
The Chagall museum was less architecturally interesting,
although they had an exhibit about it’s conception/construction taking place
while we were there. It is in nearly
downtown Nice, and squeezed onto a site.
Only because it was a pouring rain day in January were there few
visitors and we found parking. There
were fabulous Chagall paintings on view.
I am not really a Chagall fan, but spent extreme time in a little almost
chapel-like room dedicated to paintings for his wife, Vava. They are RED and inspired by the Song of
Songs. His color is so terrific, in all
of work, including the monumental Old
Testament canvases. It made me think
what can be painted IN THE STUDIO, still
using color. I am not sure I have that
much imagination, but am going to let those wheels turn in the remaining weeks
while we are on our own.
