Au revoir 2015, Bonjour 2016! With 2015 now behind us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and how fortunate we are for being both healthy and happy. It was an exciting year for many of the artists who experienced steady sales and the exhibitions with Lillia Frantin and Marjorie Mason were very well received. We are looking forward to next season with the hope that this positive sales trend will continue for all of the artists.

In November, I traveled to France with my sister, Catherine. We were in Paris when the attacks took place and although we were not in harm’s way, it was an unsettling experience – one that I personally will not forget anytime soon. Paris is such a beautiful and vibrant city and I hope to make it back there soon.

When we left Paris, we took the train and headed south to Aix-en-Provence. I had never traveled through this part of France and really thought it was stunning. It also gave me a whole new appreciation for the paintings of Provence by gallery artist Lloyd Kelly. As we traveled about the region I was seeing his interpretation of the lavender fields, stone houses and olive groves through my eyes. Someday I will return to Provence to see the lavender in bloom for myself, but for now his paintings are a perfectly worthy alternative.

While in Aix we went to visit with landscape artist, Fi Katzler, who will join the gallery this spring. During our trip the weather was more like September than November so we spent a delightful afternoon as her guests for an outdoor lunch and then a tour of her studio.

We visited the Musee du Tire-Bouchon, which is located in Menerbes. It has over 1200 cork screws that date from the 17th century to the present. We also went to the Musee Granet in Aix-en-Provence. Both are a must if you travel to this region.

After several days in Provence, we traveled on the train along the Mediterranean coast to Nice. It was a warm and sunny day and the azure ocean was sparkling in the sunlight. Nice is a lovely old city with several museums, including Musee Matisse, which I thoroughly enjoyed because they had many of his works on paper, including the cut outs, as well as oil paintings.

 

 

 

 

 

During the 2016 season we will be celebrating two nationally acclaimed artists who have been with our gallery for twenty years each, William R. Davis and Lloyd Kelly. Davis is known for his historical marine paintings and Kelly, as I just mentioned, his landscapes, particularly those of Provence. Both artists share similar clients so we are excited to be celebrating their works together in the same exhibition in early July.

To view more photos of my trip to France please click here.

Best art holiday wishes to you all and we look forward to seeing you in 2016!