New Blog

I've decided to change my blog over to wordpress. It gives me a few more design options, so you can find all my future entries here.

Please update any links you may already have.

Tides

Last night I walked along the river at low tide. I have walked along the river a few times since I've been here, but last night was the first time I had done so at low tide. It was fascinating to see boats hovering in the middle of the river above the shallow water beneath. Many boats seemed to balance on their keel and/or rudder. Some smaller boats rested at an angle and were only kept from falling by having been tied to the docks. Once again, this was one of the rare moments that I wish I had my camera with me. Luckily, there should be plenty more opportunities for this experience.

Sketching

I have recently been thinking about sketching. I rarely draw any more as my sketch books have gradually been taken over by "to do" lists and vague descriptions of projects. In Pont-Aven, I am surrounded by painters and illustrators. This dynamic, along with the painting history of this area, have allowed me to question my relationship to drawing. This was my meditation two days ago as I walked the area looking for the Tremelo chapel. Here are some of the recent images.

Catalog

River Rocks Moss Rooftops SeaBoats Fishing Language Tongue Conversation Diverse Students Forest Dead Trees Farm History Gaugain Galleries Empty Buildings Chapel Costumes Cobblestones Wind Rain Cold Walking Seclusion Invitation Site Food Bread Market Wine Signs Ingredients Breakfast Pizza Size Light Darkness Flashlight Closing Shutters Windows Wooden Closed Coast Pride Mythology Supplies Resources Coffee Machine Water Kitchen Storage Saw Horses Rural Group Nature Technology Connections

Exploratioin, day 5

I was able to wake up a bit late today and decided to explore town to stimulate my eyes and be alone with my thoughts. The group here is becoming close very quickly, which is great, but I wanted to have a bit of time to focus and some investigation seemed to make sense. It was a very quiet and pleasant experience. Eventually I found a muddy path that took me into a wooded area with multiple, muddy paths that lead up to an area with horses. I didn't go as far as the horses, since the recent rains have created many, very muddy areas on the trail. While there, the light was soft and beautiful and I could hear a dozen different kind of bird songs, with the sound of water in the distance. I photographed the entire walk and have posted the images on my flickr account.

Tomorrow we travel to Quimper. I'm interested to see what the museum offers about the history and culture of this area. I'm wanting more narrative/myth material to work with. I also need to purchase some of the overpriced digital photo paper here, so I can start making small proof prints of my recent ideas.

Darkness

I stayed up too late and didn't sleep well last night. However, one interesting thing around here is that all the town's lights go out at 1. I had forgotten this and left the school around 2. I don't have far to travel, but without light I wasn't able to see anything. It was fascinating. I could hear the river and feel the cold, but otherwise, there was nothing to respond to. Since I didn't have a flashlight, I used my cellphone to see if anything would reflect and give me a sense of distance. It worked, but the small amount of light produced created an effect of looking through a very dark lens.

An interesting response to this phenomenon has come out of discussions with some of the other students, one of which is a circus performer/fire dancer. We have discussed creating a circus of light for the town. The head of the department seems to also be interested in this idea, so I will share more as it develops.

Otherwise, here it is raining and I've just woken up from a nap. I've been working on an image/illustration in Photoshop. It is just a sketch, but it just dawned on me that this could be easily adapted into a book format. This is something I can continue to develop and may not go anywhere, but any type of productivity now is good to help create other directions.

I was looking forward to the French thrift store, but was told that is not happening this Saturday, but next weekend. At least I will have some history and art to digest in the mean-time.

Location, community and a lack of heat

I'm slowly reseting my internal clock. Today I was able to wake at a decent hour without my body deciding it necessary to be awake from 3 to 5am. I'm enjoying the town, but am beginning to miss regular indoor heating and insulation. I find that I am frequently cold, though I'm wearing many layers. I guess it must be the lack of heat breaks I'm used to in the States.

Today we took a trip to the art store in Quimper. I purchased some an overpriced sketchbook and pencils. I may do some figure drawing to see if I can get some creativity flowing. I've begun some rough digital outlines and writing, but nothing that seems too interesting at the moment. So far I'm just enjoying the friends I'm making here. We'll see how the art-making goes. I'm looking forward to the Quimper trip this Saturday. The Breton museum will be interesting as well as the Musée des beaux arts, but I am mostly excited about going to the thrift store. I want to see what clothes, materials, and bric-a-brac that lives there. Maybe some good fodder for my upcoming projects? I'm hoping so.