Tag: France

Sculpture … painting … photographs … artifacts … furniture and  fashion all find their way into museums and exhibits.

Mona Bismarck was a countess who created a Foundation in her Parisian mansion located on the Avenue de New York.  And right now, there is a very off-the-beaten-track exhibit entitled “Buttons: an artistic phenomenon, historical and cultural.” Hats off to Loïc Allio, collector and artist whose passion is shared by artists and historians … and who will delight you with his stories … in English or in French.

You are the Countess’ guest. No admission charge.

Inside …

there are thousands of these. All shapes, sizes, colors, materials, designs, ages.

dating from ancient history to modern fashion design. A must.

Buttoning and unbuttoning: a subject for another day!

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On the rue St. Jacques just next to the Paris-American Art Academy and the Chapel of the Val de Grace, is the Schola Cantorum. This music school is open to all, and trains young and not as young alike in all the musical arts. It has a garden and in the garden are a few sculptures. Here’s a photo of one of them. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, go in and through one of the doors to the garden. You won’t regret it.

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Do you know this extraordinary place?

Not only is it a landmark historical site having been home to Diane de Poitiers, it is also home to one of Europe’s most remarkable schools of artistic landscaping as well as the International Festival of Gardens. Every year it features creations from landscape artists from all over the world.

Here are four photos I took last summer.

… the Domaine of Chaumont s/Loire

Two hours and a few minutes from Paris if the weather’s fair

Soul.

Body

2010:

Body and Soul.

This year’s theme is “Body and Soul.”

Why do we need to discover?

… do we need to open our eyes?

vision and sight

… do we need to listen?

hearing and listening

… worlds away …

creation / expression

and

examples

of artistic creation

… the Royal … address?

The king’s signature?

the valley

is there

for those

ready

to explore

it

For more photos and all the info … here’s a link to the Domaine.

My suggestion: Plan your day … and include lunch at the Grand Velum.

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Last night, hundreds of workers were transforming the Champs Elysées into a “green place”

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While A. was walking down to the river from the Mirabeau bridge on this cool May day,

there were a few people getting their morning air

together or alone

Admittedly, there’s less traffic down here … than up there …

but as this one was heading under one of the 22 bridges crossing the Seine, Arnoul was focusing on detail

and shapes and textures

here’s a still life

or perspectives … as he patiently waited for the metro to cross the Bir Hakeim Bridge

which it finally did

sometimes I imagined we were far away

but then, if you  walked just a little further and raised your eyes, you’d see what some architects imagined long before we were born

You know what happened on this bridge? It’s written right here

The links of friendship and solidarity and shared values persist- they were cast in bronze and shared

so that we could walk along the Seine on a Sunday morning and then share these pictures !

PS.

Once we’re walked up the stairs

and had a marvelous view from that bridge

Once he got to the other side of the bridge,  Arnoul shot this one

I think he likes this place where cats probably hang out at night.

Then as we walked, we talked about where we were November 22nd, 1963

The Kennedys loved France and France loved the Kennedys.

This is the story of our Sunday morning “Photo Hunt”

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This sign has intrigued me for quite a while. It’s posted, as you can see, in the middle of the Boulevard Montparnasse.  Not exactly in the midde. A third of the way across.  What’s curious is that there are several but none are “signed” so we don’t know who put them there. The city? The police? The RATP? An NGO? A neighborhood association?

Here’s a close-up. As it isn’t legible at a distance equal to the width of the two traffic lanes separating the pedestrian on the sidewalk from the sign, I had to stand in the middle of the street to read it.

It could be translated into English as “Careful Pedestrians.” Though, I suspect it’s to be interpreted as : “Pedestrians: Be Careful!” Or maybe it’s to warn pedestrians to be wary of other pedestrians. The small print explains it clearly. If you turn your head to a 90° angle, you can read “BUS.” Then you’d have to do another 180° from there to read the other side … Anyway, the idea comes across that a bus lane (singular) runs in dual directions on either side … of a thin black line. …  Or does “double sens” really mean “double meaning” ? I had to stop reading because the 91 was approaching. Too bad, because I was just about to decipher what the other arrows meant…

It was driving slowly in case there were bicycles. Bikes have the right of way in bus lanes. We encourage ecological solutions to the world’s problems. That’s why we group bus transportation and no-pollution bicycling in the same lane.

It was following the rules.. The arrow was pointing the direction in case the driver was distracted

and though I didn’t realize it at the time, bus drivers are multi-tasking folk.

Once the bus had passed … this couple decided to cross … They must have read the sign because they are looking out for buses.  Even if they are looking in the wrong direction. Fortunately, there were none. What they missed were the red lights.

But they weren’t the only ones …

people of all ages cross at the crossings …

and most manage to get to the other side.

It must be thanks to “Maréchal Ney” who directs traffic at the intersection.

He cautiously stands in a safe, protected place.

Understandably.

You’d think that all of this might be a little risky. In fact, if you do successfully cross, there is a reward.  Because if you do, you can just sit back and relax in one of the most beautiful places man has created: Le Jardin de Luxembourg … or “Le Luco” as it’s known in the neighborhood …

(post dedicated to Henrik, Anne, Rasmus and Johann)

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Je travaille à peindre Paris en ce moment, et quelques photos me parlent de la saison.

A l’entrée du jardin des plantes, on
Es accueilli en ce moment par cet arbre magique, discret et présent
Rose parme au parfum subtil.

photos by Ishtar Jaulin, artist, photographer, art therapist.

Thank you, Ishtar!

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a walk

between the cliffs and down to the

in Varengeville.

Take a bathing suit, sandals…and check the the tide table!!

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Last week, the Musée du Louvre introduced its newest acquisition, a 3,750-square-foot ceiling painting created by Cy Twombly to hang in the Salle de Bronzes.

Discover the new ceiling !

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