École de Louvre

13 December 2018

Last year I had a small obsession begin; an overwhelming desire to go back to school. An old dream to go to art school reawakened in me. When I was choosing Universities back in the day, I was looking at CCAC, the San Francisco Art Institute and UC Santa Cruz. It was very expensive to go to art school and I thought it might be more reasonsible to get a general education, who knows what the future might hold? But I always regretted not having a formal art education.

I started to become obsessed more and more with L’école de Beaux Arts. I started to hang around there a lot and tried the competition to get in. There were 1500 applicants, 800 were invited to submit a portfolio. I submitted mine but didn’t get to the next step. I was very disappointed. But I had a Plan B: I thought I would look for a painting instructor, take tap dancing and try to seriously get better at the ukulele.

I started talking to the artists I know in Paris and asking for introductions to painters who I consider to be possible mentors. One of the first ones I met with said he learned more at “L’école du Louvre” than he ever did at L’école de Beaux Arts. It’s true that technique is not really taught any more, even though students are very interested. I responded: “But L’école du Louvre is art history classes!”. “No” he responded, “I’m referring to going to the Louvre to copy the Masters”. So I went with him one saturday to sketch.

This was the first lesson. Poussin. Saint Frances of Rome. It looks like a witch but it’s actually the virgen Mary. Mary borne on a cloud appears to St. Francis, the broken arrows symbolise the eradication of the plague.

By the second lesson at the Louvre, I was on my own. My drawing is about 400 percent bigger than the original. Jean Cousin le Fils – The last judgement, it doesn’t do justice to all the volume and expression in about 3 square inches.

Antoine Caron “Tiburtine Sibyl” Emperor Ceasar being shown the way to Christanity.

Jan Vander Straet “vanité, modération and death” (except I didn’t get death in my sketch)

I usually go saturday mornings.These sketches were copied after bronze sculptures of Aphrodite. I get to the museum by 9:00 and draw until lunchtime. Often I go to my studio after and tattoo. I pretty sure this is the life I dreamed about when I was studying french in high school.

Pygmalion fell in love with his sculpture. Anne-Louis de Roucy-Trioson 1819 (I was so disappointment to find out that Anne-Louis was a man) a student of David’s at L’école de Beaux Arts, later a teacher there.

I think I’m making progress already! What do you think?

Atelier Portes Ouvertes

3 December 2018

Bonjour,

Les Samedi 8 Décembre et Dimanche 9 Décembre 2018 de 11 heures à 18 heures j’organise la visite de mon atelier “A la Belle Pique” qui se trouve près des stations de métro Ledru Rollin et Charonne.

Vous pourrez y découvrir, sans obligation d’achat, toute une série d’objets originaux à voir ou à offrir.

J’espère avoir le plaisir de vous y accueillir et faire connaissance autour d’un thé épicé et des petits gâteaux faits maison.

Toute une collection d’objets originaux est à visiter et à vendre :

  • Impressions
  • Tableaux et peintures
  • Lunchbox
  • Coffret à cigarettes
  • Tapis de souris d’ordinateur
  • Étuis à lunettes
  • Cartes à jouer
  • Puzzles
  • Badges
  • T-shirts
  • Stickers
  • Livres
  • Boucles d’oreilles
  • Bracelets
  • Colliers
  • Porte-clés
  • Patches

Bien amicalement.

Sunny Buick

6 passage Charles Dallery 11ème (métro Ledru Rollin/Bastille)

code A638 Bâtiment C fond de cour, porte de droite, 1ère porte à gauche une fois à l’intérieur

ou appelez pour directions 0683257778

Immersion Theater Finally Comes to Paris/ Le Théâtre de l’Immersion arrive enfin à Paris

28 November 2018

I’ve seen “Sleep No More” and “Then She Fell” in New York, and I became fascinated and enamoured of immersion theater. I hoped that one day it would become popular in France. I was lucky to be in contact with the group Madame Lupin, who are responsible for parties in the Catacombs and for squatting abandoned museums with strange art shows. I got the chance to be one of the first people to see “Curiousity Lead to Trouble”. You can too on the 5th of december. Tickets here.

 

J’ai vu “Sleep No More” et “Then She Fell” à New York et suis devenue complétement fascinée et éprise de ce genre de théâtre en immersion. J’avais espèré qu’un jour prochain cela deviendra accessible en France. J’ai eu la chance de rencontrer le groupe de Madame Lupin organisateur de fêtes dans les catacombes et qui squatte des musées abandonnés dans le cadre d’expositions étranges. J’ai egalement eu le plaisir de faire partie des tous premiers spectateurs de “Curiosity Leads to Trouble”.  Ce qui pourrait aussi  vous arriver le 5 de ce mois ; les billets sont disponibles ici.

Nevada and Lake Tahoe Summer 2018

20 November 2018

Memories

As a child and young adult I’ve made the trip to Reno, Navada or Lake Tahoe many times. We had family in Reno and my Uncle has been living in Lake Tahoe since I was an adult. Reno was also my familly’s Christmas destination, and each Christmas we would see snow. Every summer I would drive my ’73 Dodge Dart to witness “hot august nights” a parade of old cars.  The thrift stores were really great in the early ’90’s.

Our friend Eddie drove us up the 431 to an observation point, to look at Washoe Lake and the beautiful desert. On the way we passed this crumbled building that left a huge impression on me. I just feel like it stands as a metaphor for neglect and decay of America.

This used to be a restaurant/night club and Eddie used to play his trumpet there in the ’50’s. I was thinking that maybe the roof needed repairs but money was tight and a heavy snow fall caved the roof in. But there were so many rusting antiques around the building, so I feel like the only action the owner of this building is capable of is of accumilation. No energy was lost on reparation or maintaining infrastruture. Procrastination may have been the problem. Or maybe noone came there anymore, interests change, now people prefer to go to glittery strip clubs, sports bars or stay at home in front of cable t.v.

There is a real problem with the derelection of our heritage. It is so tradgic and depressing to see the rot, right before one’s eyes. I wish I could have been there to whisper « make do and mend » to the owner of this building, to « be happy with what you have » instead of searching to have more. Maybe to sell a little to finance repairs. But I know it is so much easier to find a new object to add to the collection than to let go or repair. The high cost of maintaning, added to no value for history and you have this slovenly road side attraction.

Virginia City

V.C. Is in a pretty good state of preservation, nostalgia is high here for the gold rush days. My french friend wanted to live there. I’m sure he was attracted to the idea of isolation, solitude, and romaniticism of America’s past.

Someone is doing nice signpainting in V.C.

Neon in Reno

last visit two years ago I had a feeing we should doccument all the great motel neon in Reno, I was sadly with reason, about a dozen have been bulldozed down since then.

I found out that a developement company bought up a lot of old motels and then abandoned them. Others are attracting bad elements, like prostitutes and junkies. There were some citizens that called for restoring the motels and making them kitsch vintage rentals. I also found out that there is one man trying to save all the neon, Will Durnam. He wants to open a museum. Read about it here.

Lake Tahoe

Nature, beauty, simplicity not much has changed. Thank God!

A little video I made:

Journée de Patrimoine

29 October 2018

Every 15th of september in France, we have Journée de Patrimoine “hertiage day” where certain government buildings, factories, homes and domains are opened up to the public. These are places that you don’t get to see usually but should probably be museums. I don’t get a chance to participate that often but this year I had a day off.

I visited the old Hospital Laennec which was purchased around 2000 by the fashion conglomerate LVMH (now Kering) and was under renovations for the last 7 years. The chapel has been converted into a showplace for the contemporary art collection of François-Henri Pinault.

En France, chaque année le 15 Septembre, nous célébrons une journée du patrimoine que nous appelons la journée de l’héritage au cours de laquelle, certaines administrations, usines, bâtiments et domaines sont ouverts au public. Ce sont des endroits auxquels on ne peut normalement pas accéder, tels que des musées ou autres lieux privés. Je n’avais pas encore eu l’occasion d’y participer mais cette année cela tombait un jour de congé et j’ai donc pu m’y rendre.

J’ai visité le vieil hôpital Laennec qui a été acheté autour des années 2000 par le groupe LVMH (aujourd’hui  KERING) et a té rénové au cours des 7 dernières années. La chapelle a été transformée et assimilée au groupe de la collection Francois-Henri Pinault.

Damien Hirst:

I also went to the Factory Les Gobelins, where France’s rich textile history was created. I’m very interested in antique textile, also textile art, so to see where and how it is done was very exciting!

My favorite piece was Louis Anquetin “La Mobilisation”; this is just amazing, it’s not a painting, it is tapestry. Of course the artist made a painting then the weavers were able to copy his colors with wool thread.

J’ai également visité l’usine des Gobelins, où c’est écrite l’histoire des “riches’ textiles en France. Je m’intéresse beaucoup aux débuts de l’art textile une histoire très exceptionnelle pour moi et pouvoir voir où tout a commencé est très m’excitant pour moi.

Ma découverte préférée fut celle de la “mobilisation” de Louis Anquetin qui fut juste extraordinaire. Ça n’était pas une peinture mais une tapisserie. Bien sur l’artiste en fit une peinture quand les tisserands surent copier les couleurs  et teinter les fils de laine.

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California Part 2 Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz

17 September 2018

Santa Barbara

While exploring Santa Barbara, I stumbled upon my ideal art studio. So European but of course with a California/Spanish influence. Look at this beautiful window! And the patina on that wall! I wonder who’s art studio it was? Maybe a couple of artists, an art colony? Sadly it seems to be offices today, probably lawyers.

We found this record shop by chance. It has a very good selection with beautiful handcrafted record bins. The guy working there was really nice too. I found a Slim Whitman record.

Across the street there is a museum, I didn’t catch the name of the said museum, but the show up at the moment was about the Spanish culture in Santa Barbara and the festival “Old Spanish Days”.

Oh California! If anyone wonders why my art is so influences by Mexican and Chinese imagery, now you know. It’s my growing up in California.

We had lunch next to this beautiful cinema and found a great antique shop nearby. The store had all California/Spanish antiques and jewelery. A real treasure, very expensive, but like a museum in the quality of what was in the store. I was very impressed by this collection of portraits. Anders Aldrin.

Santa Cruz

I grew up near Santa Cruz, I spent many summer days at the Boardwalk. I don’t remember what was in this warehouse before, when I was a kid, but the museum there shows that it used to be a swimming pool in the 20’s – 40’s. Now it’s miniature golf with a pirate theme, with animatronics! And a super cool lighthouse!

The caveman and cavewoman are still on the aerial tramway. And it still gives me vertigo!

Dedicace de Hey! Deluxe #2 Season 2

13 September 2018

UNE SEULE DÉDICACE À PARIS
SAMEDI 22 SEPTEMBRE à partir de 17h30
Librairie Le Monte-en-l’air, 2 rue de la Mare (71 rue de Ménilmontant) 75020 Paris 
www.montenlair.wordpress.com / 01 40 33 04 54
ARTISTES EN DÉDICACE :
Nils Bertho, mad meg, Laurent Martin, Sunny Buick, Claire Fanjul, Carmen Pluto, Brigitte Lajoinie, Cyam, Laura Satana, Mathieu Lewin, Zoé Forget.

California 2018 Part 1 SoCal

5 September 2018

San Diego California, mid June 2018, the begining of a beautiful summer. Here I am unable to stop my planning and scheming for the future. I’m kinda excited about some spiritual growth I’ve made in the last few months. I hope to share more with you soon. This vacation helped me to put some order in my chaotic thoughts.

We visited the Barrio district of San Diego, possibly the most vibrant area in town. Great food, record stores, lowbrow art galleries, art studios, murals. My kind of place!

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