Paris Sights de Seg!

On Sunday morning, we beat the crowds with an early start via metro over to Fat Tire Tours.  Our guides, Alan & Louis issued us helmets and got us started on our Segways.  It was hilarious.  Only a couple of folks from the group had even done it before, so we wove and wiggled all around the lot while practicing.  I was a little tentative, but only took a few minutes to get my balance sorted out and then didn't want to stop!  We all jetted out in a line and headed out in the 7th arrondissement towards Paris' most iconic sights.

We were all chilly again, but it was hard to complain when you looked up and saw the Eiffel Tower.  (We still complained, but then we ooohed and aaaahed to warm ourselves!)  

The tour took us past l'Ecole Militaire with a long view of la Tour Eiffel and then towards l'Eglise du Dome with it's shimmering gilded dome above the tomb of Napolean.  Even on an overcast day, the gold is stunning. Our tour guides touched on just a few historical notes and kept us laughing the entire trip.  Although it's historical fiction and not an actual account, I'd recommend the book "Paris" by Edward Rutherford.  I read it about a year ago, and it helped me put some of the history bits and the locations together in my brain.  Plus, it's just a good read as a story. 

Still on our two-wheel wonders, we buzzed up to the top of the Pont Alexandre III and stopped to admire the fabulous view across the Seine and over to the Eiffel Tower or towards the Grand Palais.  Had to take off the gloves for a while to capture a few shots to keep for later.  It was exhilarating not just because of the cool air blowing into my face, but also because the colors, structures, design, and extravagance is all so inspiring.  Makes me so happy!

Jane & Angus worked with the Fat Tire folks for a very special surprise for us at our last stop and it was fabulous.  As we approached the grounds near the Eiffel Tower, there was a little cafe table piled with Starbucks bags and a huge box of hot coffee.  I, for one, was near tears at the sight of a warm beverage as I was simultaneously struck with the sheer magnificence of the tower.  A perfect moment!

After getting sufficiently warmed up, I got my book and pen out to capture that moment...

I wish I had more experience with quick travel sketching, but I guess this is how I get that experience, right?  haaaaaaa

After parking the Segways and finishing up the tour, we wandered back to our Rue de Lyon home and found a market near the Bastille, just up the street.  Picked up a cheesy delicious crepe snack and a few foodie picks of the fresh bread, fruits and charcuterie...lovely.

Back in the classroom, I continued working on my non-forward-facing girls under Jane's tutelage.  She gave us a watercolor lesson using some lovely colors that she gave to us in our kits.  Here's a start...

And a work in progress with some color.  She's a bit of a diva with those eyes, but I love the choppy color (even though I know it's not exactly proper!  haaaaa)  The little guy on the right side of the page is a sketch my brother added to the book before I left so I like this piece as a family collaboration!

I'm blessed to have Tamara Laporte across the table, so I've been chatting back and forth with her as we both learn things from Jane during her wonderful lessons.  I'll share more on Tam later!

Les Marches en Paris

On Saturday we had a leisurely morning before heading off to shop at some of the best flea markets in Paris.  I'm used to American markets that start early and you have to be there at the crack of dawn to get the best picks, but here we didn't start out until around 9:30 with our croissants and cafe to get to the markets that open up around 11:00.

The whole group of us found our way, like experts, obviously, on our second day, on the metro.  Our destination:  the Marche (yes, I know it's missing the accent to make it look and sound French, but I'm typing this on my iPad and it's too hard to figure that one out right now) aux Puces de St-Ouen off the rue de Rosiers.  We had to wander through some "normal" markets filled with Italian leather, jeans, scarves, watches, and junk to get to the real "tresor"...streets jammed with stalls of antiques.  Furniture, housewares, and general awesomeness was all around.  I'm not good at shopping with other people because I like picking at my own pace.  Sam, one of the girls here from Australia, is actually of similar mind and was searching for the same goods, so we ended up together quite a bit during our hours there at le marche.

Yes, found myself a few Parisian kitties along the way.  But, more importantly, we found some nice ephemera to use in our collage works this week.  The point of our shopping trip was to look for materials to add texture and unique spirit to our artwork.  This doesn't make sense to a lot of people, but the best finds I got for the day were the ones in boxes deep in the stalls that I had to dig through and get my hands dirty.  

Old papers with handwriting are always a huge score in English, but in French they are a real prize!  I found a small journal that appears to have handwritten songs in it.  I want to translate it a bit and see if they are hymns or original poetry before I tear it up and start coating it with glue.  I'll share more about that in another post once I figure it out a bit.  Here's an example of one of the pictures from an old French storybook that will get some additional treatment on it later with paint, pencils, and whatever I feel like at the time!

In the meantime, here are a couple of pics from around the market:

A stall jammed with old tools.  With so many tool-hoarding friends, I laughed out loud when I saw this one.  If only I had more suitcase space!

The hours passed quickly, and before I realized it, I was starving.  Luckily, some of the girls had gotten that idea earlier and I ran into them in a cafe near our meeting spot.  They shared their crisps and chicken (which wasn't all that yummy), and I finished it off with a little bit of heaven:  crepe nutella.  No napkins, of course, so I looked like a crazy toddler who just finished off the best snack.  

We got back to our hotel on the Rue de Lyon early in the evening and spent some time in the classroom working on our books and drawing a bit.  Jane gave us a lesson on a face turned sideways, and we've all been working diligently to keep our chins from disappearing and our necks turned in some natural way.  I'll share some shots of that later on when they get some paint on them and you can't see the crazy chins and weird neck angles.  haaaaaaaa

I've been surprisingly comfortable reading signs and dealing with merchants and locals.  I think the vocabulary that has been buried in my brain for so many years is actually coming to the surface, plus I really enjoy that I'm just a visitor here and don't have to deal with the day-to-day frustrations of trying to set up a home in a different country.  When I was stationed in Italy, I came to dread going out on the town and dealing with folks in the market or on the street.  It was just so painful.  I remember one particular cold day when there was a vendor selling roasted chestnuts in our square.  I got sideways looks from folks and never did end up getting to the table in front because I wasn't aggressive enough, apparently.  I just gave up and went home.  I don't get that sensation here at all and that's a huge relief.  I know I've only been here a few days, but the overall feeling I get is so positive and exciting that I already have ideas swirling in my head about coming back as an art student!

Inspired in Paris

Je suis arrive!  I forecasted this trip over 25 years ago in my high school yearbook, senior year.  I had taken lots of French and was ready to go.  Alas, even with a military career that included a European assignment in Italy, I never made it to France.  Until now, that is!  With my retirement looming, a few months ago I decided it was probably time, and went to the Google with "art retreat France" in the search block.  I struck gold with an Artist Escape in Paris with Jane Davenport--a week of inspiration and fun in this amazing city.  I'm joining ten women, along with Jane, to see the best sites in fun ways while journaling, drawing and painting!

It was an easy train ride from Kaiserslautern into La Gare de l'Est and then I caught a bus to our little boutique bed and breakfast near the Bastille.

The bus was definitely a better choice than the metro.  Even though it was a little rainy and still cold, I was treated to whirlwind views during the quick trip.  Chez Jenny.  That's right!

This little inn is off the street in a peaceful courtyard that makes it hard to believe we're in a busy metropolitan area just down the street from trains, metro and bus stops.  It's called My Open Paris, and it's designed to be a relaxing haven--even the pillows smell good!  The day starts out with a basket full of breakfast goodness.  My first croissant was a life-changing experience.  The girls and I all laughed about how we picked up every crumb off the plate to ensure we didn't waste a single shred of buttery goodness!  And, I have a handy little Nespresso machine in the room that I love!  Normally, I'm a Keurig girl (with my big, dark Community Coffee) so I'm loving the European spin with a nice dark little shot of goodness. Here's a little view out the window from Studio Papillon (aka my room!) Can you see the koi pond?  In Paris?  Haaaaaa How amazing!

Speaking of amazing, after a quick meet and greet with the other girls on Friday night, we set off on the metro, which is an adventure in and of itself, to the Louvre.  Seriously, I just took a jaunt to what is probably the world's most famous art museum.  We went in the evening and, apparently, the crowds are completely manageable.  A quick two hour visit let us see a ton of amazing history and inspiration, but I'm already considering how to explore more when I come back someday as an art student.  The potential is just so exciting!

Anyway, back to savoring the moments of THIS trip...Jane took us to some of the works that inspire her the most.  Think beautiful women with the most expressive, yet serene, faces.  Botticelli comes to mind even before we got to the pieces up the steps near the massive Winged Victory statue.  Such warm colors and interesting proportions.  Incroyable.

As delightfully overwhelming as the guilded halls and giant paintings quickly became, I stayed focused on the light and the ladies to capture a few inspirational shots to work with later once we get into the paints and pens and paper.  Here's a bit of Tintoret from Venice in the 1500's.

And a stare from a piece down the hall.  I failed to write down the artist...guess I'll have to go back and explore a bit more.  haaaaaaa

We got some time to just explore on our own and I wandered with two other girls around some of the ancient art and relics.  There were hardly any people around, so it felt like we were part of some "night at the museum" adventure.  Heck, I guess we were!  

I know...of all the things in the Louvre and I pick "Homme chevauchant un coq."  I thought it was funny.  There's a tiny sculpture of a man riding a chicken from 499 (that's the year, not the room number!  haaaaaaa)

Of course, cat lady has to capture some Egyptian feline sculpture goodness. I imagine this god staring at his pharoah in the morning wondering if he'll get fresh fish or last night's leftovers.

Much of my art and journaling involves lettering and mark-making, much of which has been influenced by ancient alphabets (even if I don't realize it).  The heiroglyphs on so many surfaces are both beautiful and purposeful.  I could wander in the Egyptian hall for days and never stop seeing new details. We studied King Tut back in third grade and that has always been one of my favorite history lessons:  papier-mache death mask?  Yes, please!

This Etruscan pottery pattern was too beautiful.  Look at those lines!  I'd like to imagine it's a rather simple ewer in an upper class home.  This kind of beauty on purposeful items as a way of life.

We left the museum, filled with ideas and excitement, to head back to the hotel...jet lag hitting folks at various rates.  On the way to the station, a small group of us decided to stop at the very fancy Hotel Regina for a cocktail.  A cushy guilded lounge with wildly expensive drinks was the perfect way to both warm up from the cold street and chill out our post-museum excitement.  We were all dying of thirst, so the water went quickly and our champagne and fruitty drinks soon followed. 

We caught the metro home.  I just love this haven of a room, so I snuggled in and fell asleep quickly to happy dreams anticipating the next day!!  More adventures!

Castle Climb in Landstuhl

It was another cool day in Germany yesterday, but I was still able to get out and be inspired by some of the shapes, textures, and scenery.  The handy GPS helped me find Burg Nanstein, the castle that overlooks Landstuhl, a town very close to Ramstein.  I didn't do much climbing on the trails, but I was able to pay a couple of euro and wander through the castle ruins enjoying a very peaceful adventure way above the town.

On the way up the hill, I passed the Schloss Hotel and stopped there on the way back down to get a little warm up in their cafe.  A sweet macchiato was the perfect partner with my sketchbook as I used one of the photos to inspire some drawing in my art journal.

It was a grey day, but I painted it a little brighter.  Why?  Just because I can!  haaaaaa  It's my book!

I am getting a little tired of wearing all the same clothes every day because I've been layering all the "fall" clothes I bought not anticipating the cool weather.  But, Paris will bring some new items, I'm sure.

Laughs in Riechenbach-Steegen

I made it to Germany!  A couple of days ago, I didn't think I'd be saying that! Monday was a stressful day as I tried my hand at the Air Force's "Space-A" travel process.  Basically, as a retiree, I sign up on a list (up to 60 days in advance) and then show up at the port (i.e. the Air Mobility Command terminal at BWI) and then wait to see if I make it high enough on "the list" to get an open seat on one of the "rotator" flights to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.  The highs and lows of watching the list with fingers crossed hoping that you'll get a seat gave me heartburn and had me wandering through Travelocity sites looking for other options.  As it turned out, after I'd called my friend, Melanie to come up and get me because the situation wasn't looking favorable, I made it to the counter after the 11:00 p.m. roll call, paid my $17.70, checked my bag, and got a seat.  Melanie had more faith than I did in the process and got there just in time to bid me farewell on my big adventure (instead of taking me, griping all the way, back to her house!).  We took off early in the morning and I made to Ramstein the next afternoon!  I'm so thankful for Air Force friends like Melanie who would drive all around DC just to make sure I'd get out of town.

And speaking of Air Force friends, I'm thankful for Beth and her family for hosting me here in Riechenbach-Steegen!  This is the view from their porch...

They've been having a typical whirlwind week with work, class, school, soccer, scounts, homework, flu shots...it may be another country but it's still a familiar lifestyle.  I got to tag along and get to know the kids and see the local sights.  Even got to catch up with other friends at the soccer match and dinner!

Yesterday I took a walk around town in the afternoon.  Found uniqueness in the narrow streets and interesting patterns...

And, of course, I had to get a shot of this lovely graphic advising against doggie poo.

I ventured out to Globus, which is sort of like a German Wal-Mart with all sorts of wares available.  I loved the cheese counter.  Cheese is awesome.  Since this area has a large American armed forces population, it's easier to get away with speaking English and actually getting the message across.  I was able to order a "bratwurst mit brochen" and a Fanta without any pain and enjoyed lunch there in the little food court.  My art supply hoarding friends will appreciate that I found fountain pens there that have been on my Amazon wishlist for a while!

Beth and I finished up the day enjoying a nice German red and lots of stories.  We've known each other since our young lieutenant days and although months or years may pass between visits, the laughter never changes.  

The Odyssey Begins...in Bedford

This is the day I set off on my personal odyssey!  As an artist/retiree/student/aunt, I've been having all kinds of good adventure, but today I actually get on a plane and head to Europe!

Before I go to far down that path, I've been enjoying the last week in my hometown, Bedford, Pennsylvania.  I realized early on in the visit that this is where I'll eventually settle down.  All that European travel and South Carolina schooling is going to be fun, but sitting here at my parents' kitchen table in their amazing old house is the best.  October is my favorite time of year here...just check out the morning temperature.  It's sweatshirt and slippers to start out the day with a cup of coffee but it easily moves into short sleeves and sandals once the sun comes out and lights up the autumn trees.

I have some cutie nephews that spent the weekend with us while awaiting the birth of their little sister.  My first niece, Isabelle, joined the family on Saturday afternoon, the day before her biggest brother turned eight!  I don't have kids of my own so it is always a shock how loud and sticky they can be.  We walked a couple of blocks and enjoyed the Fall Foliage Festival downtown and then spent the afternoon carving jack-o-lanterns.  They did a great job getting the pumpkin gunk out and saving the seeds for Grammy to roast as a snack.

Since I'm going to spend all winter here at home, I brought the cats up from South Carolina with me last month.  I was worried that they'd be out of sorts for a while, but they love the big huge house and race up and down the hallway. I should say a couple of them do, Brando, the big white one, has taken up various sleeping positions in the living room or in the sun in the kitchen.  This is Grammy's chair and they are happy campers.  They take after their mom since our family loves to nap.  

I captured one of Brando's many sleepy moments in my art journal:

There won't be many naps in the coming weeks for me, though, since I'll be hitting the ground running in Germany (hopefully!) tomorrow!  I made these plans months ago to celebrate my retirement and I can't believe the day is actually here.  If all goes the way I hope it will, I'll be taking advantage of military space-available travel and landing at Ramstein Air Base in the morning to visit with friends for a few days before I head over to Paris!  I haven't been to France before, even though over 25 years ago I speculated in my senior high yearbook that I would study French and then go to France.  Better late than never, I suppose.  I'm hoping some of that French I worked on so many years ago comes back!  

While looking for the perfect trip, I found an artist retreat in Paris with Jane Davenport.  

I'd heard of her through some of my mixed media art buds and her classes/books came highly recommended.  So, I'll be joining a small group of ladies for a week of inspiration, drawing, painting, touring, and fun.  After that, I figured that since I'm already going to be in Europe, I might as well make the most of it, so then I'll be meeting a dear childhood friend in Venice for a little cruise around the Mediterranean!  Neither of us have been on a cruise or been to Greece, so it's the perfect trip!

After being in the peace of home and autumn, this trip is going to be a whirlwind and I'm ready!

Potential is Huge

It's official.  I have an awesome studio.

Sure, it's tiny, but the potential is huge.

I like to think that's kind of like my life right now...the potential is huge.  I am in the midst of some massive transitions, so keeping the focus on all the right things is challenging.  

Just yesterday, I was part of a formal ceremony at work called a Change of Command.  It's a military formation that involves the transition of power and responsibility in command of a unit from one person to another.  I am very proud to say that after two years, I am the one handing over the flag to someone new.  On a personal level, though, it has been very emotional as I experience the loss of my normal day-to-day existence and my squadron family.  There was no crying on stage yesterday--I had to screw my face up a few times, but made it through my remarks with all eyeliner intact.  I've shed a few tears at home alone since then in honor of those losses, but I'm trying to focus all that emotional energy on setting up what will be my new day-to-day existence.

It's hard, and I've crashed into the nap zone a couple of times already today, but we're getting there.  I went to the beach this morning and got some sun and sketched a bit.  When I think of the seeds that sketchbook can possibly generate in the studio I get excited.  Now, I just need to get up off the couch and go to the studio and work!

Shelby loves the big backdoor with the view of the deck.  She has to dig through a zillion half-finished ideas, but it works.  We planted a few flowers last weekend to carry the bright color and energetic feeling through to the outside.

Even in the evening, as the great light from outside dims, we can still make a nice mess inside.  Tonight, for instance, might be a good time to get on the six-pack of 12X12 wooden substrates that I have sitting in the middle of the table and start some collage work.  I need to capture the feelings of this weekend and since the cat's aren't very chatty, some fun glue time might be just the ticket!

It's time for me to exploit the potential of this space and the raw materials within.  That's what I want my new existence to look like, so I guess I just need to get up off the couch and make it happen!