Getting High

Conquering mountains on foot, getting a bird's eye view, painting the apex, getting air while jumping, teens having a beer with us in a plaza, riding a Ferris wheel to look out over the port in Marseille, being at the  top at the Chapel de Notre Dame...all the ways we're "getting high" this month....

Mt. St. Victoire Above Mas. original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Frank spent a few days working on this vista, and all Aix-en-Provence residents see Mt. St. Victoire from varying directions, after all, it is the iconic view of this town and region. But to tie up your laces, pack a lunch and GO is an entirely different level of knowing a place. We spent a sunny gorgeous day plodding up up up last week and I was elated to reach the tippity top where the cross of Provence statue overlooks the surrounding farms, vineyards, villages, cities and the Mediterranean Sea. 

through Cezanne's pines, looking UP at Mt. St. Victoire

Delighted to find a monk's priory and chapel up on the top of  the mountain, recently restored, several volunteers buzzing around who make their 2 hour+ commute on foot.

Visiting Bonnieux with gusto!

Atop Bonnieux, a lovely park and a church overlook this valley.
Sleepy, quaint, gorgeous village sitting up high in the Luberon.

Along the old port in Marseille with Grandma. 

Kids took in the view from the Ferris wheel.

  

Teens in the plaza...Quinn from Monhegan Island
and Arlo are soon off to explore the EU this semester. 

Up high at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Marseille

Unbelievably gorgeous interior

January color....grass still green, some varieties of grapes have leaves still clinging onto the vines. so many curves. love it.

Frank and Hazel scout painting locations for the Workshop in May!
Who wants to come paint with Frank from May 17-25?

Lourmarin at dusk; as we left the cafe it was filling up
with locals watching football.

High Places

Painting below Mt. St. Victoire

Mt. St. Victoire rises from the otherwise low hills and is like a beacon for miles. When driving into Aix, it will suddenly appear, stricken by light, or as a husky darkened form contrasted by the glow of the morning sky. Often I gasp, as it's majesty surprises me over and over....as it makes itself known repeatedly....

Just wanted to prove that Frank is not exaggerating the light!

Painting in process....

On a weekend drive over the Luberon Mountains we visited Fort Buoux near Apt and Bonnieux. The magnificent ruins provided 360 views and signs of ancient life, including sarcophagi dating back to the 9th century, it was great to wander and wonder. At the top are deep trenches, vaulted cisterns (minus the tops), and other signs of building, both of shaped stone and carved in the solid rock itself. The view from the end, out over the deep valleys is magnificent and one of us couldn't handle the vertical drop which was severe and gut wrenching. We descended on a "secret set of stairs" which were utilized during attacks. Unbelievably steep and slippery, we could barely handle rambling down, and imagined how people under siege might retreat in full armor, with weapons or holding children! 

Family hike up to the Fort Buoux in the Luberon

Very well intact ruins...fun to imagine who what when and how

View down to the Aiguebrun River from Fort Buoux 

Standing above the trenches

           

Daisy Crown
Happy to find the field of daisies on the way up! 

Secret Staircase for hasty retreats

You want us to walk down THERE? it was steeper than it looks. I was looking for a belay rope!

At the tip top...don't look over the edge!

  

Back in Rognes...where we have our own set of impressive ruins!

Something the Fort didn't provide....lovely outdoor cafe in the  brilliant
winter sun! Drinking coffee at Le Rancard, Rognes, France.

Chateau Beaupre as a painting site.

Frank and I visited the local vineyard, Chateau Beaupre, in Rognes and got permission to paint on their grounds....what a  treat...so lovely and spacious...great trees, grape vines and fields, architecture, easy parking, wine.....a very muddy stream/trench that Hazel enjoyed fully.

Hazel entrenched in our vineyard visit

Practicing.Exploring.Gratitude

Practicing:
Frank spends a lot of time creating landscapes of his own interpretation and his work (most say) is pretty realistic, the colors are true and he is able to paint the best version of the subject on the whole. For instance, if a tree is in the wrong place for the composition, he'll move it. Artistic license gives him the freedom to make those choices. But, every so often I'll walk into the studio and gasp...because he's jumped into self portrait mode; a way to test himself that he can interpret with his brushes the one true thing he's always had....his face!  Unlike a landscape or still life, the portrait doesn't give you much opportunity to switch things around and remain true. I'm sure you agree, he has passed this recent test with flying colors....

Exploring:
Still so many villages, towns and cities to visit and paint...

Ansouis is a gem of a village....love this pic of Arlo in the foreground while Jorgie and I get windblown

Parked above the village and looking down at the charming Bonnieux, Frank found a parking spot that with his trunk swung wide open created an instant al fresco studio.











Hours into this painting, light has changed, Frank's taken a quick break and met some traveling muscians/artists who stopped to talk and burble over with excitement about his work.

Golden Hour over Bonnieux

A sunnier day, painting distant Bonnieux.
   

Wednesday fish market, Marseille

       

And into Marseille to meet with a friend and explore this gorgeous crumbly exciting port city

Gratitude: It's the season for thanks...it's always the season for thanks. Frosty morning beside the vineyards, autumnal colors, Frank and I painting together near the goat farm and vineyard in Rognes, my Thanksgiving vignette on the terrace, local bakery centerpiece: a boule emblazoned with the crest of our village, herbs and flowering shrubs in green glass bottles with nametags for table, wine from the vineyard next door, olive oil drizzle on salad from the olives WE picked, still lots of green things growing in the Provençal fields and forests,  old friends visiting from NYC, new friends from China and Provençe for Thanksgiving dinner, a favorite view of curving roads intersecting....which road do you take? 

  

watercolor work in vineyard

cleaning off brushes after a couple hours painting farmhouse w smoke

aforementioned smoke. detail. original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Those faces!