nature

Hidden

How many moons must go by in which I miss your gaze? There is no reason I should care but the forest is ablaze and ashes are falling all around. I see the smoke curl around branches and all I think about is tender shoots pregnant with sap. Why must

The Red Ochre of Roussillon

The last  village I had the opportunity to explore with my camera was Roussillon.  Large quarries of Ochre were mined in the late 18th century to about 1930’s for artist colors and textiles.  It has since been prohibited to mine in Roussillon, but other quarries have been exploited nearby.  There

Climbing to the top in Les Baux

I make my slow accent to the top of the castle.  I say slow because the stairs where well worn and very steep.  I felt like I was scaling a mountian and had to use the hand rail to hoist me to the next step. This was one of the

Chateau des Baux-de-Provence

As I sift through photos of my recent adventures I keep thinking how camera crazy I was. Like a tourist but also like a hungry artist let loose in her best situation.  This was it.  The moment.  I am in it; I am present.  Everything is hyper clear.  As if

Couleur Garance – The Garden of Natural Dyes

I can not post about my trip to France without dedicating an entry to the Couleur Garance!  After all this was the reason for my journey in the first place.  A few years back I attended a lecture from the renowned natural dye innovator Michel Garcia.  I was at a

Mediterranean Sea and Domaine du Rayol

I was invited to take a day trip and picnic with the staff at the Couleur Garance  in the coastal town of Rayol.  They have a beautiful Mediterranean garden  that overlooks the sea.  This Garden was built in the 1920’s by Gilles Clement.  He wanted to bring landscapes from the

Through the Mountains and into the Woods

The adventure continues……….I actually have so much to share I am hustling to organize my thoughts and photographs.  This is a good thing!  I have not had this much excitement in my life in….,well, a life time. One day while I was shopping in the village deciding what cheese to

The Fete Renaissance – Lourmarin

This is Nathalie.  She is my new friend I met the first week of my stay in Lauris.  She is an artist who mainly works in printmaking. Her dog is named Boggie and her cat is Minette.  There are a lot of stray cats in the village and Nathalie decide

Adventures in Lourmarin

Today was my first whole day of independence.  The sun was shinning after a few grey and drizzly days and this weekend is a long one because May 1 in Europe is Labor day.  In the states I celebrate Beltane. None the less it  is a time to take a

Bonjour

It has been a week since I have made my journey to the quaint village of Lauris, France.  I initially planned on writing a post right away but upon my arrival there was so much of a culture shock that I had to give myself time to process.  When I