Paris Rendez-vous

Going Too Far

2012-03-07T13:06:00.001-08:00

A friend sent me this fabulous quote by T.S. Eliot....

ONLY THOSE WHO RISK

GOING TOO FAR

CAN POSSIBLY FIND OUT

HOW FAR ONE CAN GO

(T.S. Eliot)

I think it's the perfect sentiment for mon aventure....certainly the birds visiting mon jardin follow it every day.

So.....on this adventure, Pierre and I will follow Eliot's quote.....let's see how far we can go!

Hopefully, we'll have the time of our lives...just like the cuties below.

A bientot!

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/just-beginning.html

Paris and L'Heure Bleue

2012-03-01T12:59:00.001-08:00

.......L'Heure Bleue/the blue hour.....that time of day when the sun has set, but night has not yet fallen. L'Heure Bleue is the moment when the sun disappears beneath the horizon and the sky is painted in the velvety blue of night.

I recently read that quote by Guerlain en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerlain, that fabulous French perfume house, to describe their sublime fragance, L'Heure Bleue.

I think this perfectly describes an early evening sky in Paris in Springtime and it's one of the things that I love most about Paris at this time of year.

That precise shade of blue is sublime........and I'm so looking forward to gazing up at that soft velvety blue sky in a few weeks time. Have a look at l'heure bleue below...........and you can see what I mean. The sky actually changes to those shades of blue. Magnifique/superb!

C'est magnifique...non?

No doubt le coleur bleu will find its way into my journals this Spring too....perhaps I'll create a midnight blue collage or a series of prints using a steely blue/black ink (that shade of blue that you see on construction blueprints.)

This colour first called out to me many years ago when I saw a print of Joan Miro's fabulous painting, Carnival of the Harlequin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Miro. Miro used an intense cobalt blue in that painting......and I've loved the colour ever since.

Below are images from my Blueprint Series (all monoprints) inspired by Miro's cobalt blue.

Blueprint I
and above Blueprints II, III, IV.

And I thought you may like these images from the Miro exhibition in London last year. Miro, Miro on the wall........

A vibrant combination of hot orange, cool green and a shot of Miro's cobalt blue.

I love le coleur bleu! So here's my little collection of blue images, taken in Paris and environs, last Spring.

Royal blue in the Invalides

The magnificent Musée de l'Orangerie....home to Claude Monet's waterlillies.....one of his favourite themes.

Sockin' it to ya in the Marais!

As proud as......and with good reason!

Un vélo bleu/a blue bike in the 7th arrondissement

A little bee enjoying un plat bleu/a blue dish in the garden at Musée Rodin.

Elegant blue lines in the courtyard at Musée Carnavalet

J'aime le bleu/I like blue! Maintenant/now...........only 30 sleeps to go!

You might also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/parisian-vert-orange-et-gris.html

Mes Journals Pour Paris

2012-02-24T18:44:00.001-08:00

In an earlier post I wrote about the various art workshops that I'll be doing in Paris (and elsewhere) when I arrive in just over 4 weeks.

I'll be filling journals with collages, prints, water colours, ink drawings and more...and I've decided to theme mes journals pour Paris (my journals for Paris) around the 5 Senses of Taste, Sight, Hearing, Touch and Smell. This will give me scope to develop my journals.......and capture much of what Paris is about.

I've always loved keeping journals and notebooks...even as a child....I would buy little notebooks from a local newsagent and fill them with scribbles, lists, drawings, pressed leaves and wildflowers. So keeping journals is not a new thing for me.....it's not expensive and a wonderful creative outlet.

I'll be taking my collection of journals and notebooks to Paris.......some consisting of beautiful watercolour papers, 100% cotton French etching papers, calendar eco/brown papers (which I love), and others with textured plant/fibre papers.

My collection of journals

A couple of these journals have been made by extremely talented printmakers and bookbinders. Sandra Pearce, a colleague artist from Impress Printmakers www.sandrapearce.com.au made this beautiful journal consisting of an original monotype, 190 gxm watercolour paper and onion skin/banana fibre paper (see below). Can't wait to fill this with something fab!

Sandra's beautiful journal

Rachel Hazell, based in the United Kingdom www.hazelldesignsbooks.co.uk, is the most divine bookbinder and I bought her limited edition bound journal at Spoons on the Isle of Skye last year www.thespoonsonskye.com. I'm hoping to do a workshop with Rachel either in Paris or another spot in Europe.

Rachel's exquisite little "Spoons" journal.
I took home number 3 of an edition of 10.

By the way, if ever you happen to be on the Isle of Skye, please, please, please do yourself a favour and stay at Spoons.........divine! The Isle of Skye is absolutely bee-you-tee-ful too.

Cute chooks at Spoons!

I loved this little red roofed cottage......maybe the subject for a future etching.

Dramatic, glorious scenery surrounds you everywhere on the Isle of Skye.

Pierre (better known as Peter - he's not French by the way) tramping in the Highlands.

Thistle...one of my favourite plants and a favourite etching subject.

I had my very first attempt at making a bound journal last weekend at Impress Printmakers.

Glen Skien, one of my favourite Australian artists www.silentparrotpress.com, led the workshop and I've posted a few images of Glen showing us the various techniques.

Glen made it look easy.........

My journal starting to take shape - with tobacco coloured end papers and a vintage ribbon divider.
I used 240 gsm French cream etching paper for the pages of the journal.
The cover was Venetian marbled paper that I splattered with grey ink and tea.
The spine was a dusty soft grey suede.

I used a little 'gold leaf' to embellish the cover.

Thought some vintage elements would also work - 1920's buckle and French grosgrain belting.

Voila - mon journal, L'Art de la Dégustation, with its little French belt!

I'm pretty happy with my attempt - which is mostly due to Glen's skill and teaching ability. L'Art de la Dégustation (the art of tastes) will be home to water colours, drawings and collages etc of all that fantastic Parisian cuisine (theme: Taste)......though it's going to be a challenge to create something for my journal that imparts, for example, just how good this Millefeuille å la Vanille Bourbon from Le Florimond www.leflorimond.com actually tasted!!!!! Fab restaurant by the way....and not expensive.

And now I'm starting to think about my second bound journal (theme: Sight).

I'll be making this in Paris....so let's see if I can improve on my first attempt.

A bientot mes amis.

You might also like this post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/hallelujah.html

Paris - Just Around the Corner

2012-02-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

"Paris is just around the corner for you now Robyn!"

When a friend said this to me yesterday......it finally hit me.....in 5 weeks Pierre and I will be ensconced in Paris, rugged up against the cold, and sitting in a little cafe somewhere in Montmartre sipping vin rouge.

An adventure likes this comes once in a lifetime....and both Pierre and I feel extremely fortunate and grateful that we're able to do it.

Our home, here in Brisbane, is looking extremely 'minimal' as nearly everything is packed and wrapped ready for storage. Walls, consoles, coffee tables, cupboards, bookshelves etc are all bare....not my usual decorating style at all! And I've been flat out making sure that our home is fresh and perfect for rental. Hopefully, that will happen soon too.

All wrapped and boxed

Bare walls

Cupboards are bare!

Storage boxes continue to multiply.

Next...I'll be packing the suitcases.

All our documents are in order, reservations etc locked in and now we're starting to plan the first couple of weeks in Paris.

I'll probably hit the art/paper boutiques as I want to stock up on arty things for my workshops with the charming and talented Pauline Fraisse www.paulinefraisse.com. Have a look at Pauline's web site.......so many fab workshops to choose from.

My first week-long workshop, commencing 28 April, is in Lucca where we'll be exploring the concept of 'perspective' as well as constructing a 3D watercolour sketchbook of this lovely medieval Italian city.

Pierre's keen to check out a couple of photographic exhibitions that are currently showing.....Doisneau, Paris Les Halles at the Hotel de Ville, and the photographs of Berenice Abbott (1898-1991) at the fabulous Jeu de Paume www.jeudepaume.org. Both exhibitions finish end April so it's fortunate that we'll arrive in time to see them.

The other 'must-do' for Pierre is the Bob Dylan, Rock Explosion exhibition at the Cité de la Musique. Apparently this is the first Dylan exhibit in Europe featuring unpublished photographs, objects, rare documents, audio-visual archives and more! Guess who's a very BIG Dylan fan?

I'll take a promenade across the Pont des Arts

In the first couple of weeks, I also plan to take my little vintage 'parapluie' (see below) to Maison Heurtault, where Michel Heurtault will restore and recover it for me www.parasolerieheurtault.com. I'll show you the results when it's finished.........I think a Springtime promenade under the arcades of the Palais Royale or across the Pont des Arts will then be in order. A stroll across that bridge is magic!

My parapluie...which Monsieur Heurtault will soon bring back to life.

And.....I can't wait to visit our local marché to stock up on all those Parisian groceries....now let's see how my French is progressing......le poulet roti, le pain, les haricot verts, les framboises, maybe tarte au citron and creme fraiche! Yes.....I'll be attempting to speak French with the locals.....which I'm sure will be hilarious with my Aussi accent......but I'm determined to give it a go.

So.....as you can see.......Pierre and I have no intentions of being bored in this inspirational city. I hope you'll enjoy this wonderful adventure with me.

Now...only 44 sleeps to go!! A bientot.

You may also like my posts on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/parisian-arrondissements.html
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/paris-coundown.html

My Valentine

2012-02-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

It's lovely to give, and if we're fortunate enough, receive flowers on Valentine's Day.

Mind you, I love receiving flowers on any day. If my first wonderful obsession is printmaking.........then my second is most definitely flowers.

Flowers often star in my printmaking..........I've used stems, leaves, feathers, petals, blossoms and vintage botanical images to create a unique range of prints. These beautiful, natural elements always provide inspiration!

To celebrate Valentine's Day, I'm sending these beautiful blooms to you. Hope you like them.
(1) From Parisian gardens

Roses in the garden at Musee Rodin

Lobby - George V Hotel....flowers by Jeff Leatham, photos by moi.

(2) From English Country gardens:

(3) And, from my garden in Brisbane - which I'll miss when I move to Paris in less than 7 weeks. I've decided to plant a window box or two of Parisian Spring blooms when I arrive........perhaps blue hydrangeas or white scented bulbs. Not sure which....but I'll have fun choosing.

Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day.

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/my-rusty-haven.html

Parisian Arrondissements

2012-02-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

Today, here at Albany Creek in Brisbane it's 30 degrees C. In Paris, it's -7 degrees.........I really can't imagine how cold that is.

But in just 7 weeks we'll be bunkering down in 'l'appartement trés charmant' in Paris. So...where is l'appartement? Well, before we get to that I thought you might be interested to know the arrondissements' orginal old names - some of them are trés cute!

1st................Louvre
2nd..............Bourse
3rd...............Temple
4th...............Hotel-de-Ville
5th...............Pantheon
6th...............Luxembourg
7th...............Palais-Bourbon
8th...............Elysee
9th...............Opera
10th.............Enclos-St-Laurent
11th.............Popincourt
12th.............Reuilly
13th.............Gobelins
14th.............Observatoire
15th.............Vaugirard
16th.............Passy
17th.............Batignolles-Monceau
18th.............Butte-Montmartre
19th.............Buttes-Chaumont
20th.............Menilmontant

I haven't visited all of these arrondissements............but they're all on my Paris 'to do' list.

1st arrondissement - the Louvre...will have to find a way to jump that long queue

1st arrondissement - a stroll through the garden of the Palais Royal is divine.

2nd arrondissement - Galerie Vivienne and home to a really fab wine bar

3rd arrondissement - courtyard of the Musée Carnavalet

4th arrondissement - the medieval Marais district

5th arrondissement - just strolling around

6th arrondissement - Jardin du Luxembourg

6th arrondissement - soaking up the sun in the Jardin du Luxembourg

7th arrondissement - what is that in the background?

7th arrondissement - guess where?

One of our favourite spots in the 7th arr.

9th arrondissement - le fleuriste on rue des Martyrs
And this is where we'll be living this year....the lower part of the 9th arrondissement.

After lots and lots of searching, we settled on a lovely apartment in the lower 9th arrondissement, known at St Georges. The apartment ticked all our boxes - Haussmannian building, parquet timber floors, fireplace, large windows allowing lots of light into the apartment, 3rd floor with lift, lovely view of the neighbourhood, 80 square metres and a modern, well equipped kitchen.

This quartier is quiet, safe, central with great Metro connections and gorgeous architecture.

Did you know that this piece of central Paris was known as La Nouvelle Athenes during the 19th century for its classically styled architecture and the Grecophilia of the many artists and writers who lived here?

Just down from l'appartment is the Musée Gustave Moreau and around the corner is the lovely Musée de la Vie Romantique. And of course, there is the great Opera Garnier in this quartier.....the place for the world's best in music and opera, and now the home of ballet and dance centre. A visit to this wondrous building, which is also the site of Chagall's colossal ceiling in the main hall, is on the top of my Paris 'must do' list.

There are fab restaurants close-by and rue des Martyrs, our local street market, is only a short stroll away.

So.......this will be our home for most of this year and into 2013......for April and May however, we'll be in Montmartre as the St Georges apartment was already rented. Never mind.....we'll get to experience two Parisian quartiers each with their own charm and style. I'll tell you more about Montmartre once we arrive on 1 April.

Now only 51 sleeps to go!

You might also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/just-beginning.html

French, Matisse and Impress

2012-02-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

As well as continuing to wrap the contents of my entire house in bubble wrap (well almost) I managed to do some of my favourite things this week...............like practise French, and practise the 'less is more' principle in my printmaking after visiting the beautiful exhibition, "Matisse: Drawing Life" at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).

1. French
Classes resumed this week and the focus this term will be on extending our vocabulary, particularly in relation to "Food" and "Directions". Couldn't come at a better time really!

With only huit semaines (8 weeks) before we arrive in Gay Paree, it's comforting to know that Pierre and I will be able to take ourselves off to the local marche and shop for le pain complet, les gateaux, les legumes, le fromage, un poulet roti etc etc confidently. And with all that 'directional' vocabulary we shouldn't get lost either. We're really looking forward to exploring all the Parisian arrondissements - more on this in my next post.

Alliance Francaise de Brisbane

2. Matisse
Henri Matisse was a master of elegant, simple lines (among other things)..........and the GOMA exhibition brings together an extraordinary number of his working sketches, drawings, etchings, lithographs, linocuts, screenprints et al.

His portraits are simply beautiful - spontaneous, fluid lines......so simple and direct....and often executed as simple line drawings or completed with a just few brilliant brush strokes of Indian ink. Parfait!

I marvelled at his restraint....his works exhibit the principle, 'less is more' parfaitement. Malheureusement (unfortunately), I have trouble remembering this principle and have ruined many prints by not following it.

I also liked the use of vivid colour in his Jazz series screenprints....scarlet, fuschia, cobalt, lime,
etc etc punctuated by intense, deep black.............Jazz absolutely 'zings' with colour!

Matisse's colours are repeated in the 'drawing room salon', just outside the exhibition.

This space is furnished with similar props as Matisse used in his villa and studio in Nice. Here, people can linger in one of the comfy chairs, draw, enjoy un cafe au lait or just gaze across the river to Brisbane city. Bravo Matisse et GOMA!

As we were leaving we walked through Yayoi Kusama's midnight flowers. Wow!!!!!!! This is great impact colour - you can't help but smile when you see these works.

Yayoi Kusama - as you can see, Yayoi is no shrinking violet!

3. Impress
And lastly, I took myself off to Impress www.impress.org.au (a fab place to print) to proof some new collagraph plates.

Lots to develop and think about here.......but I enjoy working with collagraphs - they're cheap and safe to make, give rich, textural marks when printed and are a lovely piece in their own right.

Voila! More on Parisian arrondissements in my next post.

Paris Coundown

2012-01-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Not long to go now before we touch down in Paris.

It's just under 9 weeks and still so much to prepare.

Actually I've been delaying the inevitable with this blog..........a good excuse not to do the packing I think........but now it's time to knuckle down and get things done.

Here's a shorlist of the jobbies (not in order of importance) that I've yet to complete:

1. Pack everything for storage - approx. 20 boxes already packed.......but there'll be double this I'm sure.

2. Organise the storage facility.......somewhere close by if possible.

3. Learn French...only joking! I've been taking a couple of courses with Alliance Francais here in Brisbane....so hopefully, with this grounding, I'll be able to make my reservations at Le Meurice and ask "Mon dieu, c'est combien?" I'm also OK at "Je suis australienne........je m'appelle Robyn" but not much else malheureusement!

4. Pack for Paris........well, I like to travel light....but not for an extended period - a girl has to have her coats, boots, scarves, hats for Paris and, of course, Pierre will want to take his stuff too. So I'm going to organise Fedex to deliver 100kg for us. Then there's all my art 'stuff' (journals, crayons, inks, etching plates, brushes, pencils, wax seals, xuan paper etc etc) that I'll be taking to Paris.

5. Organise travel money etc. Wow.......that exchange rate is looking very healthy at present.

6. Check that passports, other documents and reservations are in order.

7. Find the perfect passport wallet. Any suggestions?

8. Sell our Tigra gris.

Our little silver convertible Tigra is up for sale.

9. Find the perfect tenant for our home here in Brisbane.

10. Buy a new laptop and install Skype. L'appartement in Paris provides free internet and phone calls back to Australia so we'll easily be able to keep in contact with family and friends.

Voila!

So.........as you can see, quite a few little things to take care of in the next 9 weeks. Oh.......and of course, I have to do some printing and take a workshop before I leave Australia. My wonderful addiction needs a couple of fixes before I leave!

Now.......as I'm going to be a little busy for the next 9 weeks, I'll probably post just once a week on the blog.............but, hopefully, when I'm settled in Paris I'll extend on this and do more regular Parisian posts (and I've already got a few exquisite ateliers, exhibitions, wine bars and restaurants to tell you about.)

A bientot.

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/difficult-decision.html

Parisian vert, orange et gris

2012-01-22T23:13:00.000-08:00

I love the Parisian green of chestnut leaves and the chalky verdantique and verdigris on Paris' sculptures and monuments.

Rusty gold/orange/bronze and gunmetal grey (and all the variations in between) can be seen on the architecture of Paris.

These are the colours that I seem to be drawn to subconsciously.

I prefer these colours when printing too (they just seem to suit my work). I've decided to keep 'colour boards/journals' when I get to Paris - I think they'll be useful resources for ongoing inspiration.

Here are my favourites in all their variations - Parisian vert, orange et gris.

La Couleur Vert

Chestnut branches outside our apartment window

The tranquil garden at the Musee Rodin

Rodin's verdigris lovers outside Musee de L'Orangerie

Living botanical wall at the Musee de Quai Branly

La Couleur Orange

Modgliani's orange flesh tones at the Musee de L'Orangerie

The polished and gleaming orange tones of the Musee Nissim Comondo

Apricot peony from the rue Cler flower market

Miro's vert, orange et rouge

The elegant Art Nouveau wrought iron at the Grand Palais

La Couleur Gris

I love walking through here - the Buren Columns in the main courtyard of the Palais Royal.

A beautiful example of trompe l'oeil in the 7th arrondissement

Mon appartement???? I wish!

Gris et verdigris at Musee Cognacq-Jay

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/paris-and-lheure-bleue.html

Paris on a Grand Scale

2012-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

Last year I was fortunate enough to visit the wondrous Grand Palais in Paris.

This immense building was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris and is a truly unique building............an architectual miracle in my view.

The exhibition, Monumenta, is staged each May in the glass-roofed nave of the Grand Palais, with a well-known contemporary artist invited to create a work especially for this monumental space.

Last year, the incredible Anish Kapoor was the featured artist.

Walking in and through Anish Kapoor's enormous aubergine sculpture was unforgettable. Almost spiritual. He created a 13 500 square metre aubergine cave that allowed minimal amounts of light through its semi-transparent blood red roof. Spellbinding!

The guest artist of 2012 is to be Daniel Buren. Daniel Buren created those famous black and white columns (see below) in the main courtyard of the Palais Royal - one of my favourite spaces in Paris.

The Buren Columns in the main courtyard of the Palais Royal

I'll visit Monumenta 2012 (10 May 2012 to 21 June 2012) and write a post about it. I know it will be thrilling.

Should you want a virtual discovery of the Grand Palais go to http://www.grandpalais.fr

The red images (the blood red roof of the sculpture) were taken inside the enormous aubergine sculpture.

Can you believe the scale of this sculpture? 13 500 square metres!

And just for fun, voici les grandes dames - elles sont magnifique.

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/parisian-havens.html

Parisian Graffiti and Other Scribbles

2012-01-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Graffiti....you either love it or hate it. But it's been practised for centuries and will continue way into the future I suspect. It says a lot about our society past and present.

A couple of years ago I visited Pompeii (have a look below) - lots of vibrant graffiti there! On one of the city walls, I remember seeing a very graphic representation of the physical attributes of one of the citizens of Pompeii (an alpha male I suspect). Nothing like a little positive marketing of one's physical characteristics and abilities I guess.

Yes, the citizens of Pompeii were very busy communicating with graffiti before Mt Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 when their entire city was buried in volcanic ash.

There's lots of interesting graffiti around at present too - in Paris and beyond............raw, graphic street art that says "look at moi, look at moi". Well, as I said, graffiti says a lot about the society we live in!

(1) Parisian graffiti - fantastique natureulement?

And it reads, "Give me your hand to enter the snow."

Not graffiti but a beautiful, elegant 'drip' left on the pavement by a local painter.

(2) Italian graffiti - Woody always looks good to me - whether on Hollywood's silver screen or a concrete wall in Trastevere, Rome.

(3) Czechoslovakian graffiti - raw, textural and very old.

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/difficult-decision.html

A Difficult Decision

2012-01-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

When we first decided to put everything into storage and 'head for the hills'....we couldn't decide whether it should be Italy or France.

Both countries have beautiful languages and art, fabulous cuisine, extraordinary architecture, fascinating history etc etc.

It was a difficult decision....but we finally decided on Paris because, not only has it all the above characteristics, but it's also so central to everything in Europe.

So we're off to Paris (allons-y a Paris) on 31 March 2012 to live the Parisian life (just for a little while).

Have a look at the photos below........and you'll see why it was such a difficult decision.

Bella Italia

Et maintenant....magnifique Paris

Allons-y a Paris!!!!!!!!

Fleas, Bugs and Other Treasures

2012-01-14T01:46:00.000-08:00

I love snorkling around the flea markets in Paris.......you just never know what incredible piece of preciousness you're going to find. Even a tatty old book can be the inspiration for a new series of etchings and provide special chine colle highlights.

A tatty old book was all I could afford when I visited the Clignancourt flea market in 2010 (see below) and it's proven a wonderful 'treasure'.

It's an old Blue Guide Book of Paris called "Les Guides Bleus Environs De Paris" - containing coloured maps and guide to Paris and its environs. The pages (some of which are 'duck egg blue' and hence the title Blue Guide Book) have been wonderful to print on and I often use them and the included maps to create unique works.

I also found 'nesting' in a large glass cabinet of costume jewellery, two little bug brooches from 1930s - one little critter was brass with amber glass, and the other, carved timber with etched brass wings. These exquisite little brooches also came home with me. Who knows, they may one day find their way into my prints.

Have a look below....now this is a Parisian fleamarket!!!!! The wonderful Marche aux Puces de St-Ouen, Clignancourt just outside Montmartre. C'est fantastique non?

The Blue Guide Book of Paris gets to live again!!

Voila! Flea markets.....you just never know what you'll find.

I Can Feel a Drawing/Painting/Etching/Mixed Media/Collage Coming On

2012-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

In my earlier post on Parisian Havens I wrote about a wonderful little Parisian florist called Odorantes. It specialises in really exquisite roses - think rare Black Baccarat roses!

This little gem of a florist is on the Left Bank and very close to my favourite garden in Paris, Jardin du Luxumbourg.

I'll be making a bee-line to the elegant Odorantes the minute I arrive in Paris. I can feel a drawing/painting/etching/mixed media/collage coming on!!!!!!

I've printed a solar plate etching and called it "Pour Odorantes". This will be my gift to Odorantes when I arrive in Paris on 1 April. Can't wait! I hope they like it.

Odorantes - an elegant example of Parisian style!

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/paris-just-around-corner.html

Hallelujah

2012-01-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

In 2010 I held my first joint print exhibition, Hallelujah, in Brisbane.

The exhibition was inspired by my travels in Europe that year, especially to France and Italy.

I showed a variety of print media..etchings, monoprints and collagraphs. This was a first for me....and a little scary. Hope you like the images of my work and the original inspiration.

Collagraph - "Hallelujah"

Collagraph - "View from the Balcony at Night"

Etching with embossing - "Garden Speckled with Surprises"

Collagraph - "The Grand Tour No. 1"

Monoprint - "Midnight in Paris"

Etchings and embossing - "Enchanted Forest 1 & 11"

Collagraph - "Appassionato Nero"

The beast!! i.e. the printing press

And here's images of the original French and Italian inspiration.

Midnight in Paris

Gardens, speckled with surprises, in The Hague

APPASSIONATO.....for Italia

HALLELUJAH! Lake Como

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/paris-and-lheure-bleue.html

Parisian Havens

2012-01-08T23:59:00.001-08:00

There are so many Parisian havens and I hope to visit many of them this year. But here's a few that I really love...most of these pics are from 2010....but you can expect to see lots of other Parisian havens from 1 April this year.

(1) Jardin du Luxumbourg - an oasis of green and calm in the middle of Paris. Parisians just love this park and it is easy to see why. Lots of green, blossoms, sculptures, dappled shade and even a little kiosk that sells caramel tea. Oh la la! C'est magnifique!

(2) Musee Rodin - in a word, this place is 'breathtaking'. The musee is filled with Rodin's powerful sculptures and the garden is, as you can see, very beautiful. The image below inspired one of my favourite collagraphs, "View from the Balcony at Night". It was a very difficult collagraph to perfect but after lots and lots of proofs...I did!

I'll post this and other work inspired by my 2010 European holiday in my next post. In fact, the holiday was the inspiration for my first joint print exhibition, Hallelujah, which was held in Brisbane in November 2010.

Even the bark of the trees was beautiful!

The Kiss - sensuel non?

The master's signature!

(3) Odorantes - well....could Heaven be like this? Odorantes is just around the corner from Jardin du Luxumbourg and sells divine roses and other very special blooms....which they arrange according to 'scent'. The bouquets are wrapped in lovely black tissue paper to which is attached a special poem.

As you can see below, a girl just can't resist such temptation! When I was there I commented on the gorgeous black tissue paper and the owner very kindly gave me a bundle of sheets to take home. I have used that French black tissue so many times over the last year as chine colle on my prints......so when I visit Odorantes this year I have a special gift for them.....an etching that I've called "Pour Odorantes". I hope they like it!

(4) Musee de la Vie Romantique - this is quite a little treasure. This musee (townhouse) is set in a little park at the foot of Montmartre in the Novelle Athenes area of the 9th arrondissement in Paris. Our apartment, which will be our base for most of 2012 and into 2013, is just around the corner! So I'll be having lots of morning teas in the musee's charming garden cafe which you can see below.

The house is really interesting and displays works of art for two great people of the 19th century - George Sand and the painter Ary Scheffer. Did you know that George Sand was actually a woman and her real name was Aurore Dudevant? She was an incredible woman who had an impressive literary career, but dressed like a man and smoked cigars, plus had affairs with many great artists, writers and musicians! Well, that's Paris non?

Parisian green garden furniture in the garden cafe.

Mon mari, Pierre

Voila! And for my next post you'll be able to see some of the prints that I created after visiting these wonderful Parisian havens. A bientot!

My Rusty Haven

2012-01-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

I adore rust in the the garden........be it rusty coloured plants, sculpture, candelabra, lanterns, pots et al - and my garden in Brisbane has often provided the inspiration for my printmaking. I'll miss my beautiful rusty garden when I live in Paris............but I'm also looking forward to visiting (and drawing and painting in) all the fantastique gardens in Paris and beyond - like the always fabulous Jardin du Luxembourg, the garden of the Musee Rodin and, of course, the tulips fields of Amsterdam. I'll be doing posts on all of these gardens so stay tuned. If you have a favourite garden, tell me what it is. I would love to know.

But for now, here's my rusty haven in Brisbane. And thank goodness it's an easy garden that needs little maintenance - I'm sooooooo busy packing and getting everything ready for storage. We jet out 31 March....and still so much to do.

Christmas stars and my Three Wise Men

Lots of succulents and natives in my garden - with the beautiful forest beyond.

Lime and rusty coloured banksias.

My gorgeous rusty succulent sculpture

As I said, I adore rust in the garden!!!!!

Little red somonos...that never stop flowering.

View of the garden at night.

Golden yuccas against an evening plum sky.

And below you can see how my garden and the forest have inspired my printmaking.

Etchings and mixed media

Collagraphs

Monoprints

Etching, embossing and chine colle

Monoprints and collage

Voila! And tell me about your favourite gardens.....I would love to know about them.

Just the beginning......

2012-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well hello everyone!!!!!!! Ça va? Welcome to my blog about all things Parisian. I'm so happy that 2012 is about to begin.......as it's the beginning of a wonderful adventure for Pierre (mon mari) and moi.

Everything is going into storage........and we're off to Paris (as they say in French....allons-y å Paris!) Oui! Magnifique Paris where we'll be ensconced for the next year or two doing all manner of gorgeous things.....art workshops, photography, gallery visits, shopping at the local marchés, attempting to speak French, taking side trips to some of Europe's most interesting cities and, of course, quaffing French champagne and sampling la cuisine extraordinaire. Pardon mon français...c'est si mauvais....but that will change soon.

"The will to do, the soul to dare."

The will to do, the soul to dare - this is a favourite saying of mine that I've used on a new multimedia work. I've used beautiful antique Italian and French postcards overwhich I've layered my collagraph work. The series is called "Where there's a will, there's a way." Loved doing these small works and will continue to develop the concept in Paris where I'll be taking art workshops with wonderful teachers........lots more about what I'll be learning soon.

Fantastique - there's nothing like a black and white combination!

And little noir et blanc numbers from moi.

Violå. My very first post. I hope you enjoy these posts as I share this wonderful experience. Paris oozes inspiration.....and I can't wait to be enveloped by all that city has to offer. Allons-y å Paris.

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/difficult-decision.html