The world is violent and mercurial–it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love–love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.” Tennessee Williams (photo of my friend Tess Baker, founder of Paint in Provence.)
Today's Word: MERCURIEL
: changing (mood), fluctuating, inconstant, variable…
Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc read the following quote:
Click here to listen to mercuriel
Le monde est violent et mercuriel–il fera ce qu'il veut avec vous. Nous sommes seulement sauvés par l'amour–l'amour l'un pour l'autre et l'amour que nous mettons dans l'art que nous nous sentons forcés de partager: être un parent; être un écrivain; être un peintre; être un ami. Nous vivons perpétuellement dans un bâtiment en feu, et ce que nous devons en sauver, tout le temps, c'est l'amour. -Tennessee Williams
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
Tess came to visit this weekend! She's my longtime painter friend from England, who calls tomatoes toh-mah-toes, says things like "mercurial" (to describe the sea), and calls me Darling (as in Daar-ling, we must get together soon!).
We decided to have lunch in Bandol so that Jackie and Tess could see each other, too. Jackie is my 20-year-old daughter and she's studying art in Toulon, and waitressing on Sundays for some argent de poche….
If you happen to be in Bandol on a Sunday, stop in to see Jackie at Le Jêrome. And if you are looking for a recommendation, Tess and I highly recommend the pièce de boeuf. It's outstanding–charred on the outside, cooked à point. After lunch, Tess snuck around the corner, with Jackie, to stuff a big tip into the art student's pocket because in France all tips are collected by le patron, and little of it ends up in the pockets of workers. Jackie insists her boss is fair about this, but Tess wasn't taking any chances, having worked in French restaurants over the 4 decades she's lived here.
After lunch in Bandol, and before our stroll beside the–mercurial–sea here in La Ciotat… Tess suggested we sit down and paint. Quelle idée! I haven't felt that self-conscious since blowing into a giant hunting horn during a proper lunch in a château. I thought my pants would rip right open (and that maybe more than my pants would rip as I let it rip trying to force air through that giant brass horn!).
I felt this kind of vulnerability now. Sensing my fears, Tess had an idea. "We'll paint that lovely willow tree! Let's simply focus on a section of it. We'll paint those branches…" And the way she said it ("braahn-ches") kind of suckered me into this unexpected watercolor session.
My attention was scattered as I watched people walking by our house, sometimes slowing to view the artistic activity here in our garden. Not only was it nerve-racking to be painting beside an artist, but we now had a mobile audience. One of those passers-by was my 8-year-old golden retriever, who parked himself beside my chair. Smokey wanted to play artist, too! which reminded me: just play!
"Notice the light hitting the side of the leaves, Tess was saying. "Now see the darkness on the other side. Let's start with the light…." Tess had already made several vertical brown strokes on her canvas. I hurried to pick up a paintbrush but it felt as awkward as chopsticks. And which one to use? Thank God there were only two. Mimicking Tess, I picked up the big one.
Tess was painting away with a shade of green…but where was this color green in the paintbox? A childhood rhyme came to mind, as I struggled to remember color mixing…yellow and blue make green… (or did yellow and red make green?)
"Here, you can use the color I've already mixed," Tess offered. "Just start sploshing it on!"
I glanced over at Tess's own canvas, wondering what all those verticle brown lines were for?
"Those are the branches, darling," she explained, but all I could see (ahead of me) was the green of the leaves!
"Do you need to get your glah-ses?" Tess hinted.
Oh, yes! Mais bien sûr!
Finally seated, still feeling ill-at-ease before the blank canvas, I bargained with my art teacher: "OK, I'll paint–but only if I can throw it away in the end!
Tess agreed and before long I was settled in. If those paintbrushes felt like chopsticks, the act of painting felt like picking up slippery noodles with those foreign utensils, or brushes. Why was this so difficult for me? I began to think about Tess's former students, and the wonderful works of art I'd seen with my own eyes. And here I could not even paint a leaf–not even an abstract one (as we'd agreed to do, to simplify).
"Just let go!" Tess said. I brushed aside all the torturous thoughts and got on with the moment. When else would a chance like this come around again? A little while later I was giddily painting right over my braahn-ches and trees….with a shower of crimson wings (red for determination? Wings for freedom?). Feeling more and more relaxed, I went to re-dip my brush into the glass of water. That's when I noticed how close the cups were…
"Tess, What are the chances I've dipped my brush into my teacup?" I wondered.
But my good friend brushed aside the worry, "Oh, I'm sure I've done it dozens of times myself. Carry on, darling!"
And like that, we sipped our colorful tea, and painted gleefully. The tourists strode by and the pepper tree swayed gently, mimicking Smokey's golden tail as he snoozed on and off beneath the artist's table.
* * *
Post note: Later, when I went to prepare dinner, I was surprised to find my little painting tucked into the window above my kitchen sink. Tess had set it there…in case I had a change of heart. I was glad it didn't end up in the poubelle. The little work of art was, after all, a sweet souvenir of our time together.
Come to France and Paint Provence With Tess. Read about the time she brought her students to our vineyard, in the story "French Toilet Paper & Other Disasters" (disasters which had nothing to do with painting!
FRENCH VOCABULARY
l'argent de poche = pocket money
pièce de boeuf = piece of beef, side of beef, tenderloin
à point = medium rare
le patron = the restaurant owner
quelle idée! = what an idea!
la poubelle = garbage
Read Patricia Sands book set in Provence, order Drawing Lessons here.
Also, Beautiful watercolor illustrations of Provence, click here for this sketchbook
La Petite Aquarelle watercolor paint set from France. Order here
Valrhona chocolate from France, and more in French groceries, here
All-new HD Fire Tablet – and many other tablet models here.
BORDEAUX AND THE DORDOGNE small group tour Sept 17-25 – culture, cuisine & wine. Click here for itinerary.
For those who enjoyed the opening quote, on art and love, here's a post from the 2010 archives. Open up your eyes and your senses and enjoy!
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And you hold the brush with such grace and aplomb…by doing so at this end (instead of like a pen or pencil) your strokes will grow more lovely and will, with practice, begin to take on the appearance that watercolor look that lures you in. The practice of paining can fill the heart and soul with such freedom. Let it!
Kristi, what fun to see you and Tess together. Tess graciously shared information and guidance from her beautiful website as I wrote Drawing Lessons. Her art classes in the countryside of Provence sound wonderful. We hope to meet in person when I’m in France this summer, so perhaps we can all have lunch at Le Jêrome! Thanks for letting everyone who reads this sit at that table with you, Tess and Smokey in this delightful post. I have a feeling your oeuvre d’art is well worth keeping! 🙂
Quelle idée indeed! What a lovely story to learn how you’ve branched out (tee he he) in your new home with good friends to visit and help you relax and show you the way! Lovely photos, too. (Even tho the collection is sans your finished work. Perhaps Instagram?)
I can you taking it up.It suits you to a tea:) And yes I have done that too:) It’s a perfectly wonderful hobby.I promise:)You must have loved that day..your daughter..your friend..a paintbox..paper..light.It’s zen-like ♥
Do you know of any painting workshops led by someone speaking French?
Even the greatest painters started with stick figures! Don’t give up before you’ve even started.
Hi Kristi and Tess,
I would love to paint with you both in your garden and sip some colorful tea! Love Mrs. Smokey and his beret! Have a wonderful day! I LOVED Patricia Sand’s new book Drawing Lessons. I would highly recommend it!
Eileen
I would love that, Eileen!
Kristin, you have some of the sweetest, gentlest and most memorable experiences. What riches!
Thanks for the lovely quote about art and life and love. I forwarded your article to the art teacher at my school. I also printed it out for my French students who love art. I’m going to use this quote when I start my French Art Appreciation unit in the spring. Merci Mille Fois!
The world needs more love and less hate and violence.
This would create a better world for us all!
What a beautifully written story! If someone else had written it, it would have been boring. I would have skimmed a couple of paragraphs, lost interest, and moved on. Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I’ve noticed the difference when you have guest posts. I start reading them with the same interest I bring to yours, but almost never finish them. You are a naturally talented writer, Kristi, just as your friend is a born painter. You know just which details to put in to carry the reader into your world and make them linger there, no matter how busy they are. You probably don’t even think about it, but your unconscious mind knows just what to do. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
By the way, you got me curious about your painting! Though I understand your self-consciousness about sharing it.
Our dear Kristi,
This beautiful post today fills me with appreciation(and inspiration!) for gifted friends like you,and thanks to you,sharing in the wonderful talents of Tess,her artristy, and Patricia(whose books I so enjoy, reading and re reading them!)
I particularly admire you for going for it(!)and painting a picture!My talents in this department are pretty much nil,as even my stick dogs are sad looking.
But then,that’s just what friends do,encourage and help each other,regardless of applause or not so much.What a joy in life!
And!Smokey is adorable!
You made my day!
Thank you!
Love
Natalia. Xo
This made me smile, Kristi! Thank you 🙂 The first time I tried to paint after having spent hours gathering all the ‘stuff’ I needed, I could not bring myself to put any paint on the canvas. After an hour of looking at it, my son’s friend (who is a painter) wandered by, asked me which color I liked best, took my brush and put some color on the canvas. Then he told me – ‘now it’s begun, you take it from here’. Why is the first step always the hardest? How lucky to have such a friend!
Wonderful quote! And very nicely read by Mr Jean-Marc! The painting session with your friend Tess sounded wonderful,
Kristi,
Your painting made me realize that I have not created any art, except photographs, in a very long time. I always seem to find other things to do…they are creative in a different way…but I should either get out my pastels or watercolors and get to work. Well, it shouldn’t be thought of as work but as creativity and having fun.
We’ll see. It is cold and dreary here today and my ambition level is low. I think some exercise is what I need. Recumbent bike here I come.
Kathleen
Love tree photo…took my breath away!
Hard to know what you are hinting at with yr. unexplained heading: “The world is violent (and mercurial).” Not more domestic abuse, hopefully.
Such a thought-provoking and entertaining post! Love the quote; though I think mercurial and mercuriel might be false friends in this instance….?
You have rendered Tess’s English accent à la perfection!
Seriously? Where are you coming from to frame this in such a way!
Seriously? Where are you coming from to frame this in such a way!
I was trying to recall my own childhood colour rhyme, passed on to me by my mother. It went something like “blue and green should never be seen, without a colour in between”. Obviously, my own children have no such hang-ups as, with them, anything goes – and gorgeous are they too! Beautiful writing, as always.
Kristi, I really loved this post, your tree, dear Smokey, and wish I could have been there with you and Tess. It seemed like such a relaxed setting, even though I know how hard it is to start – to first put paint to the paper. I dream about taking Tess’ class, and keep moving the sessions on my calendar, from month to month, year to year to look and see if this might be the time. I just need to be diligent and save money for all the other things beside the class – as I’d love to do a bit of traveling around France before or after the class, come see you!! Who knows, maybe this will be the year!!
The word *mercurial* inspired the post, the moment Tess said it. From there, I needed to find a quote to illustrate the word of the day. For this, I typed the word into Google, along with the word *citation*, and up popped that wonderful quote on love (and art and writing) by Tennessee Williams.
Over the years, Sargam, you have taken aim at two members of my family. I thought to ban you from my list, but trolls like you just return, one way or another.
Such a beautiful painting and timely quote. How precious to have friends who encourage and inspire us! I giggled over your comparison “as awkward as chopsticks” as I can relate. After many years, I’ve just learned to ask for a fork 🙂 so as to enjoy the moment.
Dear Kristi,
I was originally going to comment on the value of friendship…and what wonderful friends you and Tess must be to each other!
What a lovely friend you have in Tess, Kristi! Your story, along with your joyful smiles in the accompanying photos, left me with a big smile on my face. I used to sketch and paint but haven’t picked up the brush in many years. I would imagine it would feel awkward to attempt to paint now. Yet, we must also continue to challenge ourselves to step outside our comfort zones and PLAY! We spend too much time taking ourselves too seriously. I’m glad you kept your artwork as it’s beautiful in many ways.