Rodin, at the heart of sculpture

I first discovered Rodin's sculptures many years ago on a visit to Paris in the Musee D'Orsay. However, it wasn't until I visited Lisbon and the Gulbenkian Museum that I was WOWed by his sculpture. Hence a visit to Paris had to include a visit to the Musee Rodin. 

Right hands

We arrived at opening time and spent most of the day there, eating a picnic in the garden. There is no denying that I love his sculptures! I spent half the day inside visiting the various themed rooms which traces a rough chronological journey of his life. Then the afternoon outside in the amazing gardens with his bigger scaled sculptures including "Le Penser".

"Le Penser"

Rodin originally rented rooms in the mansion from 1908. It now houses some of his amazing collection.

He learnt sculpture initially in a very traditional way, his early works were very precise but lacked character . He also studied the work of famous sculpturers he admired and in particular observed the very best of Roman sculpture. He realised that quality was important and also strict observation of the subject. He experimented by paring things back and was able to make a move forward with his sculpture from that point. He always tried to capture emotion and character in his figures. The shape, movement and form were everything to him. I love the way that he also seemed to be in tune with the material he used such as stone or bronze. One can feel the process of a figure being modelled from the stone.

"L'homme qui marche"

Draped torso

I tried to make a few sketches of his work but I think I was rather in awe so they haven't turned out as well as I would have liked. I think my favourites were the small sculptures such as "Le Désespoir" and "Le Réveil". If you have a chance to visit Paris I definitely recommend visiting this museum.

"Le Réveil"

"Le Désespoir"

Jardin du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg is a beautiful garden in the centre of Paris. It is a haven from the hustle and bustle of city life. The garden was designed for the Palais du Luxembourg and is now owned by the French state and most importantly is open to all.

It has the most delightful round pond where children's sailboats can be sailed across it. Each boat has a sail representing a different country.

Many of our trips around Paris involved a walk through the gardens on the way to visit somewhere or the way back. Sometimes we would take a picnic and a book to read just to escape the city. There are many statues in the garden and lots of immaculately planted flower beds. And most importantly lots of chairs to sit on. Bless the French for thinking of the essentials especially as many of the lawns cannot be walked on. People go to the gardens to meet their friends, eat their lunch or just sit and contemplate life. 

Of course no French park could be without pétanque areas. I believe there were 4 linked together and a clubhouse. I love to watch the game, the strategies and the various talents of the players. And I'm not the only one as there is usually a crowd watching. It is also a chance to socialise with friends. For painters it is a chance to sit and sketch!!

Another lovely feature was the pony rides for the children in the afternoons along the main vistas.

It was definitely one of my favourite places to visit in Paris. You could sit, feel the last of the sun and really wind down at the end of the day. 

A Month in Paris

In April 2019 I was very lucky to spend a month living in Paris with my husband. We booked a month at an AirBNB  in the 13th Arrondissement near to the Montparnasse tower. The objective of the trip was to learn more about Paris than you would on a holiday and really get a flavour for life in Paris. Key to this was visiting exhibitions and museums particularly with an art theme. We also wanted to take in the parks, the markets and the cafes and restaurants. Bizarrely we also visited the cemeteries especially as we lived near to one! 

It was not a trip without drama. In the first ten days we visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It has always been a special place for me  .. a must see on any trip to Paris. This time we spent longer and were able to see more of the graves, friezes, paintings and artefacts. It was a shock that we heard news on TV just two days later seeing the Cathedral in flames. We watched on TV as the spire toppled and the drama unfolded. It was shocking and unbelievable .. luckily the building was only partially destroyed. The next day was surreal as there was a definite feeling of shock in Paris. People were very subdued.

It is difficult to know where to start! But it makes sense to start with Monet and the water lilies a definite must see in Paris in the Musee de l'Orangerie. The sheer scale of the works should not fail to impress whatever the weather. The paintings are housed in two oval rooms. The Monet water lilies "contemplate an image of nature evoking infinity. Nerves strained by work would relax in its presence." The Key to the works is no horizon, they are illuminated by the real sky above, the more you look the more you see or don't see. If you sit and look you will feel pure calm. 

We visited twice on our trip and neither time were disappointed despite the crowds. On return from Paris I made this pastel inspired picture as a card.

Cormorant cards

As a way of getting back into my art I have started to do small drawings which I can make into cards.
Here are a couple of my recent cormarant drawings and the associated cards completed.

Piha to Anawhata walking

While on holiday in New Zealand we enjoyed many walks taking in the flora and fauna. On this hike we walked from the north beach at Piha to Anawhata beach and back.

Piha is a beach on the west coast of The North Island about an hour from Auckland. It is particularly known for its amazing surf. The backdrop to the beach is sub tropical temperate rainforest of the Waitakere range. The beach has a large rock part way along the beach known as lion rock for obvious reasons. The name Te Piha comes from the Maori meaning divided ripple at the bow of the canoe which the waves breaking around the rock are likened to. Piha is a destination for beach and surf lovers. The sand here is black due to the volcanic nature of the rocks and it has a high iron content.

Piha beach looking North

Piha beach looking South

Our walk took us from the north end of Piha beach on a trail over the headland to Whites beach. It was named after Francis White a blacksmith whose son purchased land here. The family of Sir Edmund Hillary own a bach here. A bach is a small holiday home or beach house.

Whites beach

We took a trail that took us back up the valley onto a track to Anawhata beach. This beach is accessible via a gravel track and then a path that takes you down through groves of Kanuka and Manuka, very similar trees.

Anawhata beach

There is a very interesting rock formation which looks like a key hole, see photo. There is also a semi circular sand dune at the back of the beach.

Keyhole

On the beach we saw three pied shag (or cormorants) which Hazel regularly sees here. Apparently it is common to see them but they are endangered. They are very majestic birds with long necks and white feathers on the throat and under belly. The eyes are blue and there is a yellow spot in front of the eye which is very distinctive. They are very elegant in the way they walk and also in the way they hold their wings out to dry.

Three pied shag

Pied shag 

Gannet Colony, Muriwai

In the summer (Dec to Feb) it is possible to see Australasian Gannets on the New Zealand mainland at Muriwai, about an hour from Auckland. The gannet colony is at Otakamiro point, Muriwai, on the west coast of The North Island. The Maori name for them is Takapu pronounced tah-kah-pooh. Every year the Gannets arrive here to breed and raise a chick. Each pair has a single egg which hopefully hatches into a fluffy white chick. We were lucky enough to visit in February when there were a range of chicks from the white fluffy to those malting and almost ready to leave the nest. The coastline is very fragile here and tourists must stick to the paths and board walks provided. The scenery is stunning and being able to get so close to the birds is a real privilege.

Here are some of our photos:-

The birds are really beautiful to watch in flight as they sore on the upward drafts. They are notable for their spectacular fishing style, spotting their pray and then diving, wings folded into the sea from high in the air.

What I cannot do is give you a sense of the smell but if you can imagine a lot of sardines just eaten then that would be about right!

The adult birds are quite large and make a rather risky nose dive to land somewhere near the chick. Often they are then pecked at as they try to get to feed their chick. You will notice that the scrapes/nests are around a pecking distance apart!

This parent has had a late chick, he waits while the other parent fishes. As they get bigger both parents fish leaving the chick to fend for itself.

What a real privilege to be able to see these amazing birds.

Fantail Art

Here are some of my drawings of New Zealand fantails. These birds have a personality of there own. In the forest they seem to find you and when they do, they flit around sort of leading you on. They don't sit still for very long so my pictures are done from photos we took. I just love them as they appear to be talking to each other, cheeping, we often saw them in pairs.

Common fantails

Fantail from below!

Black fantails