Artistes a Suivre at Couiza

This exhibiting lark is knackering.... nonetheless, please visit my show at the Mairee at Couiza. Open 11 - 8 tomorrow, 11 - 6.00 Sunday. All info at http://www.artistesasuivre.org/

Garth Bowen visited today; he has given himself this year off from the Artistes a Suivre. He really took the proverbial by enacting the *frequently asked questions*. Its sweet of people to ask but one does start lying to vary the response, sorry, er, one starts having to reinterpret the work.

Great to see friends old and new. Great to see people who have visited my shows for years, bought and encouraged, not minded that I have changed my style. Great to enter the sense of local pride that the AaS engenders. Great to feel part of something bigger than ones own orbit.

No fun watching the heavens open, even if the earth is desperate for rain. (It means I have to put the lights on and that changes the colours for the worse - and the visitors come in dripping and cold, alas.)

Last night saw the expo that Marcus is hosting at Rennes-les-Bains, Thomas Hallbert's lino cuts. Excellent. T0morrow at 9.30, if the energy holds, it'll be a concert at Les Prés en Bulles in Quillan for les tres brill Les Malfonctionnaires ... a demain!

Tilling in touch with the world -

Tillings tentacles stretch hither and yon - here is Captain Harris with Danny Boyle, Artistic Director of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics

Le Season Commence

Did a virtuoso macaroni cheese last night. Janie and Pam were there, newly returned to their eyrie on the mountain: Marcus and Corella, back from abroad: Andrée and Kat and me, safely still where we should be.
It was a loud and convivial evening -:)

Totally forgot to take photies so here is Kelly doing housework. I think this may be the beginning of a manual showing how to manage a house in France...





Don't forget, if you have been invited - tonight is the launch of the Artistes à Suivre at Campagne- sur- Aude.

And tomorrow is the first day - I shall be at the Mairée at Couiza from 10.30, biting my nails and waiting for friends to cheer me.
At 6.00 there is a vernissage at Espace d'Art in Rennes-Les-Bains for Thomas-Hallon Hallbert who is showing elegant and remarkable linocuts -

As Andrée said, le season commence!

exposure

Just finished hanging my show for the Artistes à Suivre; knackered. Weird really as Billy did all the work (may blessings pile upon his head) whilst I wrung my hands and fretted. Its open to the public Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11.00 am till 6.00pm - Mairée at Couiza. Please come.

Another reason I'm knackered is because of a very convivial night last night - here are Chris, Pete and Mike then John, Margaret and Phyllis who were the most entertaining and clever and provocative and amusing folk my table have seen for a long time. Even allowing for the fact that its an age since I gave a dinner...

It was a great weekend - below is Couiza's Vide Grenier which ran concurrently with Tillings.
Naturally I went to both as
did most of our friends....

Here is Vivienne looked well glam at Matthew Hiltons open studio.
That was an excellent event - congrats to Mat - well attended and enjoyed. I pushed out the boat and bought two etchings and am soooo pleased with them - love his work - always wanted some. The studio will stay open for the duration of the Artistes à Suivre, that is till Sunday night.
Here is a miserable fledgling...

They are currently feeding with the chickens in the yard. Very funny:)

c'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la Gare

As promised, photo of new building... well, OK, not really. More the road leading to the roadworks to plumb in the services for the new building. Which is clearly nearly finished, so more pix anon.

Persons from Tilling are all too aware that the Café de la Gare has been closed for a couple of years now. There are legal issues that it is probably inappropriate to air here. The court case has prevented the owners opening up and continuing to earn their livelihood - and cost us citizens our innocent pastimes.

Alors: the boules court opposite the café is the property of the owners and they applied for and got planning permission to build a new café. Thats what the new building is, or will be shortly.

It blocks the Cantou restaurant but since the new caff is not licensed for food it may well bring in trade for the Cantou.

Heres hoping for a slap up opening party and many calm contemplative nights, in the tradition of the old gare.

****Had a prevue of Mat Hilton's show this afternoon: stonking, don't miss the vernissage tomorrow at Castelreng, see www.apwb.org for map and details. Its from 3.00 till 10 - easy to fit in the day.****

Lots of excitement -

For a start the blue bees of these parts are out and about and there was this butterfly thing in the kitchen this morning. (All pix can be bigged up by clicking on them.)










There is a new building in Tilling - really very exciting, this news, so perhaps I'II keep it till I have a photo.

Below is a picture of the Gas board hereabouts digging a hole - only moderately exciting, I hear you say - until you read whats on the umbrella shades. Not for them the prosaic EDF signs. These parasols are advertising Cremant de Limoux (which is the sweeter sister of Blanquette)










Opposite my studio there is much activity in Leos garden - a new adventure playground, one hopes - and finally here are two new hens frightening the dog at twilight. One black, one white: any names spring to mind?

art event par excellence

Mat Hilton is holding an open studio and sale of his collection and will exhibit work by his friends,
(that is Beer/ Blow/ Bowden/ Burlumi/ Grima/ Hadengue/ Hardy/ Moss/ Robinson/ Reyes/ Tchuki/ Vaicke/ Vanorbeek/ Vincent) on Saturday 28th May, starting at 3.00 in the afternoon and carrying on till 10pm

Mats studio is at 5 Rue de la Gardelle, Castelreng. Its lovely. Do come.

See www.apwb.org for Mats site