Vernissage

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last post, but better late than never...

Today is the start to our two-day exhibition (Vernissage) where all the students studying here in Lacoste are given the opportunity to sell the artwork that they have created over the past eight weeks. It's a very busy and very exciting time at the end of our quarter. I will upload photos of each piece later, probably tomorrow.

Some other important notes:

Today is Matt's 21st Birthday!! Happy Birthday Matty!!

And Matt and I are well on our way to setting up our travels after the quarter. I'm hoping that maybe we can get up to Cologne to visit Laura during her Summer Program!!

Missing all the family and friends a ton! Love you all! And wish me luck at the Vernissage au'jourd hui! :)

Menerbes

I was sitting on a step infront of this door drawing it when Professor came up and started to talk to me. I told him that I wanted to see Dora Maar's house that Picasso built for her, Professor said, "I think you're drawing it." :)

Most of the villages that we have seen in our area have this same look to them.

Looking at the vineyards in the valley below.

Turet built into the wall for protection. In our art history class we learned that rounded turets were built after the invention of canons (this helps establish a rough time period) because canon balls would be deflected off of its rounded sides.

Today my Travel Portfolio class took a field trip to Menerbes, other than Picasso building a house for his wife Dora Maar and the location of the musee de tire-bouchon, little is exciting about Menerbes, but it is a beautiful town! I hope everyone enjoyed the pictures!!

Sidewalk Arts Festival

Winning Square prior to finishing.

Third Place square - a scenic view of Lacoste with a giant octopus!

Local Costois (from Lacoste) just after he finished his square.

Matt and my sad but beautiful two square sunset.

Professor Andy Moxon working on his square titled "Luna and the Tick"

The morning after Toga Prom was the Second Annual Lacoste Sidewalk Arts Festival, and Matt and I both volunteered (which meant we got to wake up EXTRA early!). The weather looked a bit stormy throughout the day and we experience some light sprinkles of rain but nothing in comparison to Savannah's tragic wash out last year. Matt and I decided to work on a sunset together before being assigned our work schedules. It turned out that throughout the day we were working at opposite times and never really had the chance to draw out our square together... Oh well! The square was finished and it looks like a mess... but it was a good time. Better luck next year!!

The best part of the festival is that over the next few days you can still see all of the students, children and locals artwork on the sidewalks! :)

Toga Prom

Me and Allie, Hello Matty!

At the Balloon Arch. Typical Prom 101 photograph.

On our way down to the cafe, after taking forty-five minutes (maybe more) to figure out how the togas were actually worn.

A dance at one of the local cafes has been in the works of some of the Lacoste students all quarter. Finally, a date was set for this past weekend at the Cafe de Sade. This was our Lacoste Prom and the attire was togas. Needless to say, it was an exciting evening where almost the entire student body came down to the cafe in their bedsheets. The night was gorgeous and the cafe was well equipped with a balloon arch at the front.

By the end of the night, most of the, originally white, togas had been tye-dyed with red wine.

Roussillon

Small hill showing the different colors of ochre that can be harvested. Usually they will harvest only yellow ochre and then bake it in a kiln to create darker reds and oranges.

Same hill, different angle.

Just showing how steep the village terrain was.

Some of the buildings in the village, note the contrast in appearance with Lacoste.

"Painted Desert" A cliff inside the ochre mine showing the variation of pigment in the soil.

For my Art History class we started to study the works of impressionist and post-impressionist painters that were inspired by their surroundings when they lived in the South of France. Naturally, understanding how their paints and pigments were created, or should I say harvested, was crucial to understanding where they got all their bright colors from.

Roussillon is a village near Lacoste in the South of France that has become famous over the past century for harvesting its ochre. It is now one of the main providers of ochre for the world. The village buildings were all built using the natural resources found around the town, so the entire village is made of orange, pink, red and yellow buildings. It is a beautiful town recognized by its pink appearance from far distances.

Matt described the layers of ochre built into the cliffs as similar to a painted desert. :)

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Still pond that very quickly becomes rushing white water...

The poles in this picture are there for people doing kayak competitions.!!!

Water rushing over the burm.!

"Spill the Wine" Spilt red wine looks like a murder with the right camera angle.

Snuggle picture in the computer lab.! :) Matty and I are having a blast. I wish you all could be here too!

I know that I haven't blogged in a while... two shout outs to start, Happy Mother's Day Mom! and Happy Birthday Dave!! :)

Okay, so a field trip that my Travel Portfolio class took was to the Fontaine de Vaucluse. Some background knowledge. It is the source of a water supply for a very large part of the region that I am staying. And at one point Jacques Cousteau attempted to dive to the bottom and couldn't find it. With modern day technology they have also tried to dive to the bottom but stopped counting after 300 meters and returned to the surface. !!! The "source" of the "source" to this day has still not been discovered. The water was the most incredible blue color that I imagine is the same color as water in the Carribean. And it just gushed at high speeds and strength from a completely still pond. Unbelievable.

A lot has been going on in Lacoste this weekend. And I would post pictures if I had remembered my camera cord BEFORE I hiked up the hill to the PC Lab. Another night. But I promise you'll get to see pictures from our Toga Prom and Second Annual Sidewalk Arts Festival! :)

P.S. Our assignment at Fontaine de Vaucluse was to draw water in some aspect or another. IMPOSSIBLE!

Paris... Last day...

Arc de Triomphe

Champs Elysees

Luxembourg Palace

Luxembourg Gardens

Fountain in the Place de Concorde

The last day in Paris was bittersweet as my roommate Rachael said... It's true. Our feet were killing us and we were completely exhausted, but at the same time we all knew that we would miss the excitement and energy of Paris.

On the last day Matt and I wandered around the city near the Hotel de Ville and walked down the Champs Elysees and all through the Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens. Now let me tell you, all of those locations are VERY far away from each other and by the end of the day, Matt and I were ready to pass out on the TGV (high speed train) on the way back to Avignon.

Au Revoir Paris!!
Je t'adore!

Paris... The Eiffel Tower

We made it to the second tier just in time to see the sun set over the city! :)

Daytime! It is such a beautiful piece of architecture. Laura, don't let me forget to show you all the details photographs later!

The Eiffel Tower SPARKLING!! :)

At the top level looking down at the city. You can see the bridges crossing the Seine lit up. And in the left hand corner you can see the spotlight shining from the top of the tower!

Matt and I at the top. Brr..

The Eiffel Tower was INCREDIBLE! But after taking the elevator to the top and realizing that I had a strong fear of heights, I now know that I won't be able to build my studio off the side. We waited in line at dusk so that we could see the sunset while we were at the top. It was beautiful. I could see the city in all different directions and located all the important monuments. :) Matt and I took the stairs down from the second level to the ground level. I was terrified, but it was an amazing experience. A different times in the night, the Eiffel Tower will flicker its lights and sparkle... and while we were on the stairs the entire structure started to light up! It was amazing!

p.s. I got a neat key chain as proof that I actually visited it. :)

Paris... Versailles

Just as we were leaving Versailles all the fountains turned on... so naturally we had to stay and take some pictures!!

Just one of the many gardens and areas where fountains were located. This particular garden was relatively close to the palace. Matt and I ate lunch in a cafe on the premises. The gate faces a beautiful gold fountain of a man bursting out a pile of rubble. Throughout all the gardens speakers projected stereotypical French classical music. I felt like a noble walking through the gardens in mid afternoon. :)

Bedroom for Louis XIV. I "accidentally" let my flash go on this photograph, because the room was so dark, I could hardly see what I was looking at.

Famous hall of mirrors. I never thought that I would ever get the chance to see this.

Me at the gates of Versailles. Aren't they just incredible??

On Saturday Matt and I spent the entire day at Versailles. Entrance fee was 25 euros, but it was well worth it. It took us forever to walk through the entire palace and then we still had to walk through the gardens. The gardens were bigger than the palace so naturally we didn't see everything... but we did get a chance to see Marie Antoinette's Domain that Louis XIV built for her... It was exquiste and surprisingly far away from the palace... and much more than gaudy.. :)

Paris... The Louvre

Nike of Samothrace (no explanation necessary - it is shear beauty)

The walls and entrance ways to the exhibition halls are so masterfully adorned. It really reinforces the thought that the Louvre was a palace at one time. :)

Venus de Milo

From the inside of the glass pyramid, this one is for you Laura! All the wires that you see create tension to keep the whole structure elevated.

Me walking into the LOUVRE!! :)

I have been back from Paris since Sunday evening. Our whole class went for five days! It was the most incredible experience! I can't even begin to describe. So I'll just post some photos for y'all. I know you have been waiting patiently, while I have been catching up on my sleep... :) (I seriously don't know how all the Parisian women wear heels everyday... I'm exhausted from just wearing my sneaks!)

Arles Continued...

Van Gogh's famous Night Cafe

Me and Matty.

A garden Van Gogh painted.

The Rhone River.

Arles

Church in Place de la Republique

Me standing outside of the Roman Arena

Matador with bull and red cape.

Procession of matadors at the beginning of the fight.

Outside the arena when we first got to Arles. There were two bands playing. One in red, the other in lavendar. The red band had their music memorized... I liked them better.

The trip to Arles was absolutely incredible. The first part of the day we went to a bull fight! The matador costumes were amazing, all the colors and sequin! They were even wearing the traditional pink socks and black ballet flats. I saw a cape, just like the ones they were wearing when they entered the arena, in a store front selling for 1300 euros!! During the fight six bulls were killed. I admit, I cried after the first one. But once you've seen one, you start to focus more on the performance and show done by the matador. The purpose of the matador (other than to kill the bull) is to show his own dominance over the bull and create an artistic relationship between man and bull through this so called "dance." It was fascinating. Each bull that came out after the first, was more agressive than the last, giving the matadors a bit of a hassle in trying to slay it. I found myself cheering for the bull on some occasions.

After the bull fights we all walked around the city together. I got to see the inside of a beautiful cathedral in the Place de la Republique. But the best part of the trip, was the tribute to Vincent Van Gogh. He lived in Provence for two years, spending close to fifteen months in Arles. I got to see the famous Night Cafe and gardens that he painted as well as sit on the steps of his apartment. I felt so inspired sitting in the exact locations that a creative genius sat. I'll post a few different posts of pictures of Arles so you can see everything!

p.s. I bought a beret while in Arles :) Now I REALLY look like an American tourist... ;)