Painting at Le Château

"Behind the crowd with a couple friends, we captured the moment of caved in boulders while steep staircases lead us to the unknown. After finally reaching the top, we stared in awe at a view that could have been all of France. Under the guidance of Julia we learned new techniques and explored charcoal drawing as well as watercolors. We drew Le Chateau, we drew each other, we drew the distance and the future." ~Larissa Heron

Aix-En-Provence

Excursion to Aix-en-Provence for the opening of the opera season, "La Traviata" en plein air with the London Symphony Orchestra.

"On Tuesday, we traveled to the city of Aix in the South of France. When we arrived we divided up into groups and were allowed to wander the city's old and beautiful streets for hours, window shopping in the process, being mesmerized by the high priced French merchandise. Near nine o'clock we gathered together to hear the start of the city's music festival, which began with the London Symphany Orchastra playing excerts from an opera, performed by professional singers. The music took place in the middle of a gorgeous street that was centuries old, creating a music hall with the trees that grew and created a roof by leaning in towards each other. After an hour and a half of listening to the beautiful music, the group agreed that it was certainly one of the most magical things they had ever witnesssed." -Geoffrey Cook

A Visit To A Country School In Rustrel

We were invited to visit a local village school in Rustrel, one of the towns on the famous "Lavendar Routes" in the South of France. It is an ancient country school house with two rooms, one for the older children, one for the younger children. After spending some time with the children and the school director, we went with the older group for a hike into the "Colorado" of France. We made friends with the children, the director, M. Risso, and his daughter, Elisa who took some of the beautiful photos in the

video below.

Drawing in Town

Painting and Drawing Class:

"Today I took the class into our village, Saint Saturnin-les-Apt. I wanted to get the students to loosen up and get used to painting by starting off the course with some drawings that have an emphasis on perspective. The town center, which is right below the town chapel, was such a good source of inspiration. The drawings were fantastic and, and I was blown away by the talent. The students were a pleasure to talk to and they asked such good questions. At the end of the day the most popular request was to return to the village and make watercolors of the sunset from the view above. I look forward to transitioning into painting with the students; our village on the lavender route in Provence is the perfect place to explore the light and color that inspired Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Picasso."

Julia von Metzsch

Boston University Teaching Fellow

Mercurygallery.com

Sunday in Provence

"On the première journée of our journey, we relaxed. Sundays are days for enjoying friends, family, and food, and that's exactly what we did. After waking up from some serious but waning jet lag and eating a pleasant breakfast, we bathed in the pool and the sun. We saw the village buildings and appreciated the history that they simply radiated. After a pleasant trek up a petit mountain, we explored an old chateau, or castle. Our lunch and dinner were prepared by a family with two adorable girls who were not afraid to correct our French. Delicious food and delightful people were amazing ways to begin our adventure." ecrit par Emma Speer

A view from our home: