Art and Photography

While I believe that photography can and certainly is an art. It has also been become so easy to take pictures that the creativity and thought that I feel goes into the art, is often lost. Maybe there is an art to the selfie and the posed picture of people in front of every location that you visit, but part of what gets lost in that for me is the actual visit; the time spent seeing, feeling and understanding the place.

When you paint or draw a location, you have to stop, sit or stand, and really look at the place. You look at the lines, the color, the form. You look for cracks, shadows, and angles. You also become a part of that moment. You are a part of the scene. You are putting more of yourself into the place and opening the door to others looking over your shoulder to see if you are any good or maybe just to see what has intrigued you enough to stop in that location.

I had planned to draw and paint more on this trip, but it was very hard to stop, find a place to settle in for a while, and then expose myself to the world.

In truth writing this blog and even sharing my photos on Flickr are exposure that leave me open to criticism, apathy and maybe even compliments. Maybe that is part of what art is; being willing to put yourself out there to be viewed by others no matter what they think, say, or don't say about your work. I think that art is so personal; something that you feel that you absolutely need to do to satisfy your soul.

Van Gogh needed to paint so much, that in the ten years that he was a painter, he made 900 paintings. During his life, only one of them sold.

The impressionist artists wanted to do something different from the traditional painting of the time and their work, for the most part, was not accepted into the art salons until they created their own exhibit. They lived in poverty and used most of the money that they had to buy more canvases and paints, just so they could make one more painting.

Musee D'Orangerie

Monet's Studio

The modern artists did it again, wanting to create something new and different. They wanted to show their perspective of the world.

Art within Art within Art

Fleeting Moment of Art outside the Pompidou

I sat on the street one day and drew. As I started the sketch, a little girl came up to stand next to me and watch. Her parents said she just liked watching people draw. She would look at the drawing then to the location that I was working on capturing and back again. She never said a word. She didn't want to leave, but her parents pulled her away and thanked me for allowing her to watch. Later, a group of men coming toward me, posed so I could capture them in the drawing. I made quick swirling motions with my with my hand as if I was trying to capture them in the drawing. They stopped to looked and were complimentary. They said it needed color, but it was good. They are correct that it needs color. I stopped to draw this scene for two reasons; the color of the flowers and buildings and a desire to practice drawing perspective.

Sketch of a Street in Old Arles Looking toward the Amphitheatre

I survived putting myself out there. Those wandering past were not critical but complimentary. Selling your work is not a prerequisite, though it is likely a form of validation that you are an artist. Doing the work, putting yourself on the the canvas, through the lens, on the paper, or in the blog are what make you an artist.

So Many Things to Share

So little time.

Each day was generally filled with doing and seeing. The first several days,  I couldn't get the wi-fi to connect on my laptop. All my photos were there. Some ready to post, others in need of editing. I made several short videos along the way,  but as things fell behind, I didn't do anything with them.

On my long train ride to Avignon, I  wrote about the trains in my OneNote app. They are there somewhere in quick notes, but I can't find them.

I am now sitting at the Heathrow airport waiting to fly home several days early. I am homesick and tired of struggling to understand and to be understood.

All but the last day of photos have been uploaded to Flickr.

I learned:

• Traveling alone is alright for a while, but it is more fun when you have someone to share the experience with.
• Many apps, like Pandora and Amazon music don't work when you visit another country.
• 20 days is a long time to be gone from family and friends.
• You can muddle your way through.
• France is beautiful. 
• They have some wonderful agricultural diversity. Sunflowers, next to wheat, next to grapes, next to rice fields. 

Water system along many fields

The Beautiful Tournesol

• I love the French words pamplemousse and tournesol.
• The Mediterranean Sea is not overly salty.
• Olives are wonderful.
• Many cheeses and creams are actually more mild in France than at home.  Maybe it's because they are fresher.
• I'm sure there is more, but I'm off to catch my plane.

American Airlines Flight 47 to Chicago

From the Plane waiting to take off

Grottes de Thouzon, LeThor

Stalactites and stalagmites. An under ground cave with 60 million years of earth history. A constant 56 degrees. What a treat after mostly 90 degree temperatures.

A geology lesson and a person who spoke English for the tour. I didn't realize that much of the stress I was feeling was from exerting so much energy trying to understand and to be understood.

The photo below are of drapes. Unlike the stalactites, they are solid. Whee taped on with a key, then make a musical sound.  Different tones for different sixes drapes.  The stalactites are flat in tone with no resonance. 

Before the original entrance closed up, this cave was a home for bats. One did not make it out and is petrified on a stone. 

Stalactites, Stalagmites and a pool of water.

Petrified baby bat

There's also a spot where the bat guano remains, dark against the creams and yellows of the stalactites and stalagmites. 

Sault -- Lavender

I am sitting at an outdoor cafe in Sault. It was a wild drive up and around the mountains to reach this beautiful place filled with lavender fields.

It's lunch time. The view  looks out and down to the fields; greens, golden hues, and light lavenders to deep purples.

Off in the distance is Mount Ventoux. It stands out cream colored against a pastel blue sky.

Here, as with all the other places I have visited, the swallows are busily flying about in search of food, and squealing all the way.

Across in the park, a group of men are playing bolles, (a giant game of marbles?) in the shade of the trees.

I took the "touristique" (scenic) route down. WOW! The photo below shows two tunnels through rock that I drove through. The road twisted and turned and switched back and came around with the rock climbing to my right and a deep drop off to the left. The road was just rode enough for two cars. It was both dizzying and and dazzling.