It all began on a Wednesday afternoon in early December: I received an unexpected email, welcoming me as an Artist-In-Residence at Château d’Orquevaux in the Champagne-Ardenne region, in the northeast of France, during their 2021-22 season. I also learned that I was awarded a Denis Diderot (whose grandson’s family first acquired the Château property, I believe) A-i-R grant toward partial cost of the residency. The clouds parted momentarily, the birds sang — a dream come true!
The program receives applications from artists from dozens of countries. I am honored and fortunate to be selected, and to have the rare opportunity of space, and time, to work in the company of other artists and writers. Two. Whole. Weeks.
Coincidentally, I had also recently completed a group of small works on paper for a salon-style exhibition here in Toulouse. Though it has been postponed (twice) due to the pandemic, the happy result is that I find myself in the company of a bunch of finished, framed pieces, all dressed up and ready to go.
exhibit 1: rue de l'Homme Armé
The majority of these pieces, twenty-one in total, are inspired by Toulouse, and began from life. Picture my little portable stool and me, outfitted in usual overalls and scarf, waving away bugs and greeting curious passersby (schoolchildren my favorite), many of whom offered a friendly comment or two. I love the action, the interaction, surprises, uncontrollable elements.
Others are inspired by travels last summer to the north of France: Dieppe, Normandy . . .
. . . with a few others mixed in, as my whim led me:
And so I’ve decided to employ the latter as a fundraising effort for the former, to offset costs of the residency, travel, and materials. I’ve lowered the prices to make them extra accessible — art, as many of us knew already and maybe are re-discovering, can be such a salve and source of joy, particularly now. Thanks to their small size they are easy to ship internationally, framed or unframed. Each purchase will go toward my Chateau d’Orquevaux Residency Fund.
All available works are on this page of my website, which I will be updating regularly. I’ve listed size, materials, and cost with each piece. The price doesn’t include shipping, which generally runs between 10-20€ to the US. Payment is possible via paypal, bank transfer (in France), or, for those in the US, direct transfer from bank to bank. So if you’re interested in purchasing one, just send me a note and we’ll make arrangements.
And if for whatever reason all that isn’t up your alley right now, I hope you enjoy them from here, from right where you’re sitting — a little glimpse into the world through these eyes.
Feel free to contact me with any questions via the contact link here on my website, or drop me a note in the comments down below, and I’ll respond to you quickly.
Additionally, if you are interested in portraits or other commissioned work, I love working one-on-one on custom projects, and am happy to discuss that possibility as well. Just send me a note and we’ll talk.
Many, many thanks for your support — and to you who’ve supported the project already, including Annie and Laura, I extend my gratitude!
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I'm so excited to share the work I create at Château d’Orquevaux with you!
