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My Day at the Art Exposition – Part II

May 10th, 2013

Six Artists
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Although we have been living in Paris for twenty-one years, this was our first visit to the Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain. It was fascinating to walk from booth to booth to see what people with creative minds were up to.

Christine Marques
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Christine Marques uses discarded tea bags to create images on canvas. She graciously spent several minutes discussing her technique and various works with us. In this photograph, she stands next to an image that she created of Michael Jackson as a child. Can you see his face in profile? Her Web site has a gallery of her tea-bag creations including one of Barack Obama: art.the.free.fr

Jean-Marc Boudine
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sculptor Jean-Marc Boudine exhibited a couple of works that looked decidedly bizarre. He has created a series of sculptures for an exhibition in commemoration of the abolition of slavery. The sculptures are on display through May 31 at the MJC-Centre Culturel in the nearby town of Limeil-Brévannes. (The abolition of slavery is commemorated on May 10 in France). His Web site can be found here: www.jean-marcboudine.odexpo.com

Jean-Marc Wettstein
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Jean-Marc Wettstein told me that he gets inspiration from photographs that he sees in magazines. Many of his portraits portray brooding or angry subjects, but if you look at his Web site you will see some happy faces there.

Joost Heetman
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

After Joost Heetman’s partner died, he burned 6,000 votive candles. He shaped the aluminum candle holders to form eyes and then mounted them on canvas as a lasting representation of this emotional period in his life. One of these works is shown in the picture above. Heetman is an industrial designer and his booth contained a number of chairs, benches, and tables displaying fanciful, colorful patterns under smooth, transparent resin. His Web site can be found at the following link: www.joosth.nl.

Mercedes Madriz
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Mercedes Madriz exhibited numerous collages at the show. She collects texts from books, magazines, and newspapers that interest her, mounts them on panels, and records her thoughts on the content of these texts on the support medium (often in a language different than that of the original text). Hailing from Caracas, she came to Paris to learn from and contribute to its rich artistic culture. She does not have a Web site, but can be contacted at mercedesmadriz[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Steve Wells
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Some people really can re-invent themselves—Steve Wells has done it three times! First, he was an electrical engineer, then a rock star, and now a freelance photographer. His artistic vision is bold and subversive. Visit his Web site to have a look at his photographic series, including one of Paris shot on film: www.stevewells-photo.com.

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Tags: Grand Marché d'Art Contemporain, Place de la Bastille
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My Day at the Art Exposition – Part I

May 9th, 2013

Five Artists
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Saturday, Monique and I attended the Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain that was held at Place de la Bastille in Paris.

The event was enormous, with over six hundred artists displaying their creations in tent-sheltered booths that had been set up on the south side of the square. It would have taken days to visit all the booths and speak with each of the artists—we had to be content with talking to only ten of them. Each had a fascinating story to tell!

Sandrine Bourlon
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sandrine Bourlon was there to represent her husband Jean-Charles Decoudon, who paints watercolor scenes of Paris. Many of his clients are tourists who want him to paint a scene to take home as a souvenir. I wrote an article about him in the March edition of our Paris Insights newsletter. Samples of his work can be viewed on his Web site.

Franck Mercky
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Sculptor Franck Mercky has created some remarkable mobiles. A video of some of them that he created in collaboration with artist André Lemax can be viewed at the following link: http://vimeo.com/6717671. His Web site can be found here: www.francmercky.net.

Anaïs Verspan

Vivid lines and splotches of color seemed to vibrate on the black backgrounds of the acrylic/mixed media paintings exhibited by Anaïs Verspan. Not content with using just canvas as a support for her work, this artist also marries art and fashion by using shoes to give life to her art. See images of her work here: http://www.anaisverspanart.com/.

Carole Duval
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Award-winning artist Carole Duval displayed paper maché “statuettes” and wood carvings representing the theme of “the extraterrestrial.” Her paintings were made from mixed media on wood. View her extensive online portfolio here: http://www.carole-duval.odexpo.com/.

Astrig Alyanakian
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Astrig Alyanakian comes from a family of artists. Her work is inspired by images that she collects and transforms via collage, painting, and drawing. “Colorful,” “whimsical,” and “mystical” aptly describe her paintings. See examples of her mixed media works here: www.astrig.fr/.

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Tags: Grand Marché d'Art Contemporain, Place de la Bastille
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Tarte aux Fraises – Unboxing!

May 8th, 2013

Today I was happy to see that our local baker, Le Fournil de Mouffetard, was open on a holiday. (May 8 is Victory in Europe Day, celebrating the end of World War II.)

Box Containing Tarte aux Fraises
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased a tarte aux fraises, took it home, and photographed the box.

Tarte aux Fraises in Box
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Inside the box, the strawberry tart looked luscious!

Tarte aux Fraises out of Box
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

It looked even better after I removed it and put it on the table.

Close-up of Tarte aux Fraises
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And better still in a close-up photograph!

Cross Section of a Strawberry Tart
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I cut it, put it on a plate, and it was ready to eat. Scrumptious!

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Tags: Le Fournil de Mouffetard, strawberry tart, tarte aux fraises
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A Chocolate and Spirits Tasting

April 24th, 2013

Alexandre Billon et Marie-Hélène Gantois
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Thursday, April 18, I attended a chocolate and spirits tasting organized by Marie-Hélène Gantois of Mococha Chocolats on rue Mouffetard. She invited Alexandre Billon of La Fontaine aux Vins (107, rue Mouffetard) to present three spirits in association with three of Marie’s chocolates.

Three Spirits
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net

LeRoch V.S.O.P. cognac, a blend of three Petite Champagne cognacs, was selected for the first pairing. I learned that Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of the area around the town of Cognac, where wines destined for cognac production are grown. Marie paired this spirit with a praliné au sarrasin grillé by chocolate maker Jacques Bellanger. When I first tasted the praliné, I thought that it was made from roasted peanuts, but it’s not, it’s made from toasted buckwheat. The light flavor of buckwheat went well with the light and delicate flavor of the cognac. A good match!

Alexandre Explains the Fine Points of Rum from Guadeloupe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The second liquor was Karukera rum from Guadeloupe. Alexandre explained that rum from this island does not have an AOC certification (controlled designation of origin) as does rum from nearby Martinique. The principal reason for this is that producers have to adhere to certain standards to receive the AOC certification, and the Guadeloupean producers choose not to. The rum was paired with Furie ganache jus et zeste de citron vert by Fabrice Gillotte. It was a clever idea to pair the rum with a ganache containing zest and juice of lime, because rum is often served with this fruit. Again, a nice pairing!

Marie Serves Delicious Chocolates to Her Guests
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The third alcohol was Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This whisky, aged 12 years, had only a hint of peat. Its slightly sweet flavor went well with the Fabrice Gillotte chocolate flavored with fève de tonka, a bean that tastes faintly like clove.

Marie Explains Tasting Procedure
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The chocolate and spirits tasting was a great success. A good time was had by all!

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Tags: chocolate, cognac, La Fontaine aux Vins, Mococha, rum, whisky
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How to Make a Candy Sculpture (A Demonstration at the Festival du Livre Culinaire)

April 17th, 2013

Cordon Bleu Chef Jean-François Deguignet Making Candy Sculpture

Cordon Bleu Chef Jean-François Deguignet
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Start with several differently-colored globs of candy and heat them with a hot-air blower so that they becomes pliable.

Sticking Log Strips Together
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Roll the warm candy into log strips, and then press differently-colored strips together. If the strips don’t stick, use the hot-air blower to re-warm the candy until they stick.

Cutting Candy Strips
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Use scissors to cut the joined log strips to the desired length.

Cutting Flattened Strips
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

After joining several differently-colored log strips together, flatten them, and then use a knife to cut them to the desired length. To make a clean cut, heat the edge of the knife with the hot-air blower.

Working with the Flattened Strips
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Depending upon the effect that you want to achieve (a bow, for example, or a flower) take long, flattened strips and twist them into the desired shapes.

Assembling the Sculpture
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Assemble the ribbons, bows, and other shapes that you have created into a sculpture. Use the hot-air blower as necessary to get the pieces to stick together.

Finished Sculpture
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Et voilà!

Another Finished Sculpture
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

These candy sculptures were created by Chef Jean-François Deguignet of Le Cordon Bleu cooking school at the Festival du Livre Culinaire, held from February 22 – 24 this year at the Carrousel du Louvre.

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Tags: candy sculpture, Cordon Bleu, Festival du Livre Culinaire, Paris Cookbook Fair
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The Luxembourg Garden – My Personal View
By Monique Y. Wells

April 6th, 2013

Des Coulam and Monique Y. Wells
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I am honored to have been asked to participate in a very special series of interviews called Paris – A Personal View. Des Coulam, whose passion is to record the sounds of Paris, is the creative genius behind the series. He recorded my observations of the Luxembourg Garden—my favorite place in Paris—as we took a leisurely walk through it.

I took Des to several of my preferred spots in the garden. We began outside the gate, where there is currently a photo exposition on the Tour de France. There are a few photos of “vintage” races in the 1920s and 50s, but the majority of them are from competitions that have taken place in the last twenty years. The images are stunning!

We then walked to the eastern terrace near the boat basin, where I showed Des an image of Loïs Mailou Jones’ 1948 painting of the Luxembourg Palace and the towers of Saint-Sulpice beyond. There has been virtually no change in the landscape since she painted it 64 years ago!

I stopped briefly at the southernmost point of the parterre to talk about Gaston Monnerville, brilliant legal mind and President of the French Senate—a sculpture of him stands just outside the garden. Then we headed over to the statue of Marie de Medicis, the women whom we need to thank for having built the palace and garden. Thank goodness she pined for the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens of her native Florence so much that she tried to have them recreated in Paris!

We next stopped to admire the Zadkine sculpture Le Poète ou l’Hommage à Paul Eluard. This is my favorite piece of art in the garden. I love Zadkine’s story and his works, many of which you can find on the streets of Paris as well as in his studio-turned-museum near the garden.

From Zadkine, the conversation turned to fruits, bees, and the Chartreuse monks when we strolled to the southwest corner of the garden. This is where the espaliered orchard produces fruits for the French Senate, beekeeping courses are taught, and honey from the garden’s apiary is sold in the fall.

To finish our tour, we visited the Statue of Liberty, strode past the Orangerie, stopped to admire the view of the Pantheon at the far end of rue Soufflot, and talked briefly about the Medicis Fountain. I shared some final thoughts about the garden as we walked by the crocuses (a sure sign that spring has arrived) that grow near the exit that faces the Odéon Theater.

I hope you enjoy this audio tour and the beautiful photos that accompany it!

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Tags: Des Coulam, Monique Y. Wells, Paris - A Personal View
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By Monique Y. Wells

Paris Insights - The Blog

My Day at the Art Exposition – Part II

My Day at the Art Exposition – Part I

Tarte aux Fraises – Unboxing!

A Chocolate and Spirits Tasting

How to Make a Candy Sculpture (A Demonstration at the Festival du Livre Culinaire)

The Luxembourg Garden – My Personal View
By Monique Y. Wells

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