The hills are alive with the sound of music! Okay, wrong country, but it was a true story here in Giverny, too. The Musicians for the Chamber Music Festival moved into their residency a few days before we left... and we woke up to nature humming and classical musicians playing away. Don’t get me wrong, its no Tupac Shakur or Biggie Smalls, but it's very awesome and not a bad way to start the day in the morning!
The other day I went to Rouen, the city where Van Gogh spent the last years of his life. Seeing it explains a lot of how his paintings look. Van Gogh was not exaggerating when he painted the buildings looking like they were caving in on one another (okay, maybe a little) but the imperfection on the lines on the buildings and the wood makes it such an intriguing visual puzzle. It is also the home of the famous Cathedral paintings by Monet. The Cathedral stands in the city like a huge beautiful beast alive with stained glass windows and fantastic gothic architecture. Ah, the power of architecture!
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| Everyone at dinner |
On the last night, we were treated to a fantastic dinner in the French countryside from Veerle Thieleman, Wade Schuman's good friend. Wade, his wife Kate Javens, the whole host crew from Terra Foundation and the neighbors showed us New Yorkers how the French do dinner and it was extremely impressive! There was so much to take in - a beautiful country view, a lily pond with frogs and flowers, horses in the yard, and Amber even caught a hedgehog. Wade played his harmonica for us in a cave outside of Veerle's house that dates back to the 1400s. The sound of the harmonica and the candle light in the cave was surreal and yet So Real.
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| Amber Hany |
Recently, we had our last critique of the two week residency in Giverny. Ah, time flies! It went well. Lots of interesting feedback, discussions and critique. Everyone has been working really hard here, and presented beautiful interesting work to show for it.
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| Ian Healy |
We all came with different styles and ideas and we are leaving with an amazing experience and the influence of the French countryside, the art we have taken in at all the amazing museums, delicious Cheese, Bread and Wine, and of course friendships with each other and our hedgehog-finding, nature-loving, music-playing art leader Wade Schuman. I must admit, I'm going to miss opening the freezer door in search of things to draw like a pig's head, a duck, a chicken, or some sort of rodent roadkill; but I guess New York City "kitties," a.k.a. rats will have to do! See you back in New York City!!! Bon Soir!
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