Crazy Fun May: Non-stop Exhibitions and Workshop Mayhem!

   

Above: all the posters from all the events in May

The month of May was unseasonably wet and cold and completely insane. Our big shindig was hosting a 8-night painting workshop with 6 hours daily of painting instruction for Frank's 10 students from the US, UK and Austria. He worked them so hard that they needed to be resuscitated with great food and wines from the region that we were happy to provide. Every night we had at least 18 around the table and I made some of my finest meals for all...but the sweetest reward was provided by the dessert team of Jorgie and her pal/artist Caitlin who excelled in making cheesecake, chocolate mousse and other delights. 

The artists painted "en plein air" and the locations couldn't have been more lovely....Ansouis, Bonnieux, Lacoste,  Lourmarin and in Rognes, at the artists' residence.  They painted all day at the Chateau St. Esteve de Neri in Ansouis where I delivered a gorgeous picnic onto the terrace of the estate where we  cleverly paired the vineyard's delish rosé.

The gang on top of Ansouis, a gorgeous village up high. 

Picnicking at the Chapel St. Marcellin in Rognes

Waiting for dinner at the Bastide du Fanny in Rognes

Drizzle chased artists under cover to paint this live model.

           

           

Frank giving a critique to his students before the concert

Gathering for the art exhibit and concert

Marie-Pierre Bout, piano, Jean-Christophe Selmi, violin
  

One "wall" of Frank's Expo at the Office of Tourism in Rognes

 

Behind the scenes:  Christine and I in the fridge on the big shopping spree at "Metro"

    Our hostess at the Bastide du Fanny, Marie-Pierre Bout, collaborated with us for an evening of art and music in which Frank's students displayed their work.   She played the piano accompanied by her friend, violinist Jean-Christophe Selmi to a crowd of 60+, many were their friends who brought desserts or wine from their vineyard for the after party. It was a fantastic event to end the workshop week.

    

Some of the goods...

   

Aunt Christine!! In the house!

Visitors have given us the chance to show off what great discoveries we have made in this region and to try out some new things....we got to know more of Marseille together....including traffic jams and confusing tunnels under the city with really bad signage that always lead to the wrong direction...which then needs to be fixed by driving for several more minutes around and under and through.  HOWEVER, once you manage, there are delights to behold.....

  
We set out to find more Calanques (France's fjords) and our plan to visit the gorgeous Sormiou was halted by the closed access road...but amazing hikes will take you to Sormiou, which we have experienced and recommended to all who search the great beauty of Marseille's calanques....
We headed to Les Goudes and loved what we found on this lovely, albeit VERY windy spring day...

Just because it looks like Christine is crawling on all fours to avoid being too close to the edge doesn't mean that is true.... This place feels miles away from those tunnels and wrong turns we took in Marseille...

 

But, just swivel around, and there she is, Marseille....with Notre Dame le Gard, sittin' like a marble cherry on top.

And on another day, back to Marseille and the old port with the Mucem art museum and fabulous outdoor spaces bridging literally the gap between old and new....below are pics from in and around the Mucem.

      

Mini person wood sculpture only 18" tall and projection beyond at the Mucem!

  

50 centimes gets you across the old harbor on the local ferry.  Walking through the Panier district...

     

Mother's Day...almost bought that fixer upper (above) at the base of the trendy but slightly raw Panier district...or maybe just dreamt about it...and then toasted all MOM's we love... at the bistro Hotel St. Louis. Windswept but very content...

And at day's end I texted Arlo in Prague telling him that I was bummed that he was missing from my Mother's Day photo. So he took care of that, below. I love you Arlo! Knucklehead...

More Dolce Vita!!!!! Venice!

Finding an easel stand along the canal....

There is so much beauty in Venice, even though it may be crumbly and wet and decaying....On the few days we visited, we would wander around to eat, jump onto water taxis, do lots of people watching...then Frank would take off to find a particularly interesting area where canals, sky, architecture and footbridges co-exist...and produced these delightful miniature painting "postcards" extolling Venice's particular brand of beauty.....

Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, 5x7"
  

Striped Gondola Poles denoting Family Name, 5x7"

Dogs allowed on the Vaporettos, if the captain has no objections.

Gorgeous Grand Canal,  Venice

Venice Canal, 5x7". sweet!

Proposal in action on random foot bridge in Venice..See the two figures huddled on the bridge? As we walked by, one guy proposed to the other...after the proposal registered in his brain, there was a nervous second while we all quickly looked at each other with panic....until he answered with great joy....
then I had to take a pic (so uncool of me, I know). 

Let it be known that squid ink pasta isn't just for eating. Jorgie drew her dad...

...and then mixed him up! 

 

This is as good as he got on this trip. Barely enough strength to join us for lunch...then he'd go back to bed. 

And Arlo barely survived a cold (his blood was in a lab being tested back in France) that got so bad on our final day that we walked him thru alleys, losing our way several times, thru the rain at midnight, to the emergency room, into a courtyard, filled with cats (yes, cats, all over, on the hospital grounds)...the doc checked his throat with his iPhone flashlight (um hum). Results showed a double whammy of mono and pneumonia. Solid rest and meds and food got him through, plus sleeping in his own bed helped too. If you see Arlo, ask him how he most likely contracted mono. It's a good story.