'Aller au fil de l'eau' means to go with the flow. It is also, appropriately, the name of the café in the small French village where I live. On the terrace, the atmosphere is relaxed, life seems to mosey along no faster than the river that slips lazily by. In spring and early summer, conversations are often accompanied by a chorus of croaking frogs. Creating this blog is some kind of commitment to take brush or pen or pencil in hand every day and make art. As Julia Cameron says: "...creativity is not a marathon event that we must gird ourselves for, whacking off great swaths of life as we know it to make room for it. Creativity is not aberrant, not dramatic, not dangerous. If anything, it is the pent-up energy of not using our creativity that feels that way". Not making art is like trying to stop the flow of the river. I surrender to the flow and watch where it takes me.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

The Big Easy


Having visited New Orleans years ago, I was inspired to participate in this month's Virtual Paintout, an online art challenge hosted by American artist Bill Guffey. The idea is to cruise around the month's featured city in Google Street View and paint a scene that takes your fancy. The view I chose reflects my enjoyment of the architecture of The Big Easy, with its wrought-iron balconies and colourful facades, and the interplay of light and shadow.