Saturday 30 June 2012

Look Up, Look Up, Regarde Le Ciel

Regarde le ciel...look at the sky.  I've seen this quote all over Paris.....on doors, roads, walls.
So....I followed the suggestion and looked up to see the sky.....and this is what I saw.
Faboulous street art at Montparnasse.
Romantic street lamps - Place des Vosges
Just off rue des Archives...more incredible street art.
One of my favourite streets in Paris...rue Pont Louis-Philippe....
lots of fab paper, pencil, pen and ink shops.
View of the Tuileries Jardin at night.
I had to overcome my vertigo to take this...Place de la Concorde.
On the way to get my Carté de Sejour from the Commissariat....
now, that's another (very long) story!
We're up to Trip/Hoop 3.....
Rooftop....Galeries Lafayette
IC...naturellement/naturally.
The most fantastic tromp l'oeile on Theatre St George (just around the corner from Pierre and moi)...
look at the windows, clouds, shutters, balconies and wall decoration.....
I only recently realised that they weren't the real thing.
I'll try to find out who painted this trompe l'oeile...
it's trés, très bon!!!
A gargoyle and shadow....trompe l'oeile style
Visited the fantastic Cité de l'Architecture...
for this wonderful view of the sky et al.
Dome of the Petit Palais...one of the best
galleries in Paris.
After the Petit Palais, we dashed over the road
to the Mini Palais for lunch....
love those columns on the terrace.
Voila!  It's certainly worthwhile looking up to see the sky.  You never know what you'll spy.

I'll be looking at the Belgium sky next week as we're off to Antwerp for a few days.  It's a beautiful city...with lots of gorgeous chocolate and fashion...what more can a girl ask for!

A bientôt.

You may also like my posts on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/05/golden-experiences-in-paris.html
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/06/london-calling.html

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Parisian Inspiration and Creation


Where to start...there's so much inspiration in Paris....galleries, beautiful gardens, people, flea markets, architecture, festivals, celebrations and the simple pleasures of just soaking up the city...the list seems inexhaustible.

During my exploration of this wonderful city I've been gathering bits and pieces and letting my imagination flow....and seeing what develops.

I've started working on collages....it just seems right to be making these here in Paris.  The city is really a huge collage of different arrondissements each with its own colour, personality and soul...all overlapping...to form one beautiful Parisian collage.  The apartment too, is big enough for me to be able to spread out and make a glorious mess (and hopefully some interesting creations.)

So...here's some of my bits and pieces and creations (just little warm-ups though...I've been a bit busy having fun!!):

(1)  Vintage cards and magazines from Les Archives De La Presse on rue des Archives
I rummaged through neatly labelled boxes for these lovely vintage cartes/cards...
and in a little shop in Montmartre (Tombées du Camion)
I found Le Nil cigarette papers and 1950s necklace closures.
Didn't know how I would use them...
but knew I would think of something.
Everything boxed up neatly...so you can easily find your treasure.
With all this incredible loot, I thought collages on the theme...Le Jardin dans l'Été/the garden in summer could work....
The Garden in Summer assemblage....Le Jardin dans l'Été
Cartes postale on the theme.
Displaying the collages in vintage frames could look good I think....perhaps from l'Object qui Parle/the Object that Speaks.......I've had a quick snorkel in this quirky brocante but have to go back for a good rummage.
What a joint...and l'Objet qui Parle is close to home on rue des Martyrs.
Lots of 'stuff' but perhaps I'll find the perfect vintage frames here!
Now what can I do with these antlers?
I'll think of something.
(2)  Arts and crafts at the Marché Parisian de la Création on Boulevard Edgard Quinet.  Spent a morning here where I found Ania's chapeaux pour la pluie (for the rain) and was fascinated by beautiful wing paintings created by one of the artists.  The artists were friendly and amused by my 'crazy' French...so I'll go back for another look...because their work was fantastic and very affordable!
That's my beautiful chapeau in the front...teal and orange.
I may have to go back for this one I think.
And so...with me feeling as free as a bird in Paris...and with a new chapeau...I created little whimsical collages and more cartes postal with birds wearing trés chic chapeau.  I've called the assemblage...C'est possible...to fly like a bird.  Will need to develop them some more...but I think they have possibilities.
Bird/Chapeau assemblage.... C'est possible...to fly like a bird.
(3)  And then there were the covered passages in the 9th arrondissement...but more about these in a later post.  Here's a couple of images....it was stamp, postcard and letters ancienne heaven!!

These hidden passages are intriguing...and the perfect
spot for a quiet lunch and people watch.
Parfait.....for collages!