A Perfect Day in Paris

The Pont Neuf on a crystal clear February morning

We spent about half the week in Paris, visiting Zinnie, Quinn and their parents, helping out with childcare and doing some big-city errands. We picked an exquisite day to hop the metro into Paris Center and engage in one of my favorite activities in life, shopping for art supplies! It was also a wonderful excuse to have lunch in a sunny café and take a nice long walk along the river, which is exactly what we did.

I purchase most of my printmaking supplies at Charbonnel, one of the best names in printing ink. They also sell my favorite copper printing plates in various sizes. Their copper is a little thinner and more original in size than I am able to get at other places. Since I usually buy quite small ones, carrying around a bag full of new plates isn't too cumbersome.

The store is located on the left bank just across the river from Notre Dame. After getting off the metro at Place St. Michel and having a very nice Caesar salad at a nearby café, we walked along the water to Charbonnel which has been at this address for over 100 years. From inside the shop, if you look out these windows, you see Notre Dame towering above the waters of the Seine from l'Ile de la Cité. It is really quite breathtaking.

I also found something I wasn't particularly looking for, a little artist's journal by Fabriano. I couldn't resist purchasing it and I must say, after only a fews days of use it's already become the favorite little sketchbook I've ever owned. I had earlier bought a few mechanical pens by Aristo (taking the place in my affections of those annoying old Rapidographs.) I am enjoying the whole experience. Especially because I also got a new light with nice bright daylight bulbs which makes it possible to continue working even after the sun goes down.

As we walked along the sunny banks of the river, we passed, of course, the many bouquinistes along the way. I didn't know much about these folks before reading David Downie's book Paris Paris, Journey into the City of Light, which remains my favorite book about Paris. Their profession, selling antique books and prints, as well as a lot of grotesque knick knacks, is time-honored. There is a whole history there and I highly recommend David's book so you can discover it.

My object, after visiting Charbonnel, was to go to Sennelier, one of my other favorite historic Paris art supply stores. They are both located right beside the river on the left bank, so it is a straight and charming walk the 1.6 miles (2,7 Km) between them.

Along the way you pass Shakespeare and Company. George Whitman, who took over the store from Sylvia Beach, died late last year at the age of 98. He had been living in Paris and selling books since 1946.

Anyone who's been inside knows what a crazy, wonderful place it is. It welcomes one and all and you are welcome to curl up with a book and stay all day long. This landmark will be carried on by George Whitman's daughter, also named Sylvia.

We crossed over from the left bank to the right about half way through our walk, since that was where the sun was. We used the Pont Neuf. Generally we take the Pont des Arts to cross the river (you see it in the near distance). It goes from the Academie Française on the left bank to the Palais de Louvre on the right and is just for pedestrians. However, it was nice to make a change which allowed us to get a close glimpse of this little park on the tip of the Ile de la Cité. It is a favorite place for sunning and picnicking. James had a birthday party there once.

Sennelier is a store I have talked of before on this blog. Like Charbonnel, it has been in business in the same location since the 19th century and is one of the best quality brand names in the art world. It does not sell printmaking supplies, but has the best paints, pastels and art paper that one can hope to buy.

It's a 40 minute metro ride from the center of Paris to Emily's house. We decided to take a bus back instead. Rick is good at figuring out the bus map and it's such a pleasant way to travel, as one gets a view of the city as it slips past. One uses the same ticket as for the metro. Rick figured we could catch the 48 just across the river from Sennelier and it would take us almost directly to Quinn's school where we were due to pick him up at 5 o'clock.

Traffic through the gates of the Palais de Louvre didn't seem too heavy. What a beautiful building. Passing through the smallest arch at the right of the photo

we had this pretty view. It was such a wonderful day for a walk through Paris.

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Back home I did some experimenting with old etching plates. I left this one in the acid overnight. It was practically eaten away. I loved the print it made, being inked as a relief instead of an intaglio. It was highly embossed as well.

I suppose we're having our last fires of the season. Our winter was severe but very very short!

Week 26: Mostly Gray

 

This week has brought rainy, gray weather. The leaves have fallen, the temperature has continued to drop, and fog hides the landscape most mornings. Days are short, clients scarce, and responsibilities self-imposed. I have never appreciated the winter so much before moving to Montmirail. After all, my days spread out in front of me, there is a cozy fire in the studio, and spending all day painting, drawing, etching or just dreaming up new ideas seems a profound luxury. I have hardly ventured out the front door this week, and I've enjoyed every minute. I wake up each morning excited to discover what I can make of the day.

We did have clients on the weekend, but they were the kind who are so easy that we hardly knew they were there before they had left again. We glimpsed blue skies and the sun peeking out from behind clouds from time to time, but those moments too were fleeting. We ripped hungrily into various projects, as if we had been starving for just such uninterrupted free days. Before Christmas we have two more trips abroad planned, one to England and one to Germany, so this quiet week was greatly appreciated.

Rick did find time to visit the garden. He began to put it to bed for the winter.  Nothing more was growing except for the last heroic dahlias. What generous plants these are! Giving copiously and constantly between July and November. Last year we mulched the bulbs and left them in the ground, against the advice of Michel and Jonathan. The winter was particularly harsh and we assumed we had lost them all, but in fact most survived. We will probably chance it again this year, even though cold and snow are predicted.

 

Tomato plants dead and gone

The bare bones of the garden

We cut the last blooms for our weekend clients

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One project I have had in mind since last summer is painting a series of cloud images. I have taken numerous photos as the year has gone along. It has been a year of particular cloud appreciation. When we were in Le Havre we saw an entire long wall covered with small canvases of cloud studies. I found them so charming I wanted to make a series myself. Finally, I've had the chance to begin. I painted these on masonite with oils. We mounted them on the wall as they will take several weeks to dry and I need the room on my table for other projects.

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During our visit to Chaumont-sur-Loire a few weeks ago, we discovered a small shop with a sign "Atelier de Gravure". We were compelled to enter. Inside we found a small room with a small woman sitting next to a wood stove, cutting paper chains with a tiny pair of scissors. All around the four walls were hundreds of etchings, tacked up. The paper cut outs, which she also produces, were pasted to the windows. It turns out the artist lives and works in this minute space with a very small press right in the middle of the room. There was barely space to move around for all the supplies and books. Her work table was under the front window. Since her studio is small, her images are the same, some not more than an inch or two square. She makes little drawings of people, animals and the castle, quite naive, but charming. I was fascinated by the size of her plates, which she showed me. She doesn't bother to protect them with talc or wrap them in paper and plastic. They all just sit in a box, jumbled on top of one another. She told me that she buys her plates at Charbonnel in Paris and cuts them up herself. I had never seen such thin copper. Charbonnel, located on the left bank across from Notre Dame, makes the highest quality etching inks. I hadn't purchased copper from them before, so last time we were in the city, I went there to have a look. I was very pleased with the thin and inexpensive small plates and bought several to experiment with. In the studio this week, I had my first chance to use them. They are about 2" x 4". I have been trying to work bigger, but in fact small is more natural to me. I like to work quickly, without too much agonizing over details.

Wren and Cedars

Girl and Cat

Chair by the Window

They're so fast to ink and print and one doesn't feel nervous about experimenting. If it all goes wrong, it's not as if you've destroyed a large precious copper plate.

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I also began a series of illustrations for a story Emily is writing, The Very Big Something.

 

Edith Eagans was busy baking bread like any other day

Sadie Stevens was counting chicken eggs like any other day

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For obvious reasons, I cannot post photos of some of the Christmas projects we have worked on this week, but I did make some package tags which I will continue creating this week. I plan to put them into my Etsy shop. They are cut out of antique postcards, of which I have a huge number.

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Driving home through the countryside one evening we were treated to an exquisite sunset. It was mesmerizing as the colors, at first brilliant, darkened and clouds floated into ever-changing forms. At first we exclaimed to each other about its beauty and stopped to snap photos. In the end we were speechless and simply enjoyed the show, which we were able to appreciate from start to finish.