On dessine, on mange, on y va! Sometimes we get lucky. I'm not a lucky person and I spend a lot of my time standing in the longest line. But sometimes I'm so much more than lucky. I climb up creaky, unstable ladders, moves boxes, pry open a window long forgotten and then voila...a whole new world to look into!
I have had some awesome experiences in Paris, things I didnt know enough to hope for. But this night was more like an awesome priviledge. In the photos above, are a bunch of old friends. Ancien amis, we say in french. And in this case it really fits because they have known each other for years. They are all in the arts. They are actors, musicians, artists, and lovers of the best things in life.
For me the story began when I met Christian online on yahoo chat. (He is the one eating dessert and looking at his cel phone.) He told me that he was a comedian and liked to draw its about all I knew about him. The first time we met in person was after seeing him perform in the play called the Circle of Liars. When Chris found out I was in Paris, he immediately offered me tickets. I had no idea how talented he was or how lucky I was to meet someone in the arts in Paris. pinch me.
At the dinner after the show, I met Chris' friends. One of them is an artist. A successful artist in Paris. He heard that I like to paint and invited me to attend a class at his home. That evening I met Claud's girlfriend Annette, and it was she who invited me to the Palais Royal, the home of all the finest plays performed in Paris. Don't pinch me, I don't want to wake up.
The class was held at Claud's loft. I love it when I tell others who live in paris about this. When one says LOFT in paris, it says a lot. Money, success, someone special. I dont know about the first two, but certainly Claud is a unique balance of artist and teacher and friend.
I began the night watching the door open to his loft/apt. It is 3 stories and one enters from the top. You make your way down spiral stairs that stop at each floor. There is a kitchen, and perhaps some room over there, painting and frames are hung and stacked in a very orderly fashion. But as I continued to descend, I could see that I was actually coming to the main floor which is 3 stories down. Once there I looked up. The middle of the loft is empty, meaning that you can see from the bottom floor, all the way up to the ceiling...wow. Music was drifting about, wonderfully sensual music, french and sometimes spanish. There were about 6 others there, arranging there tools and chatting quietly.
Easels were standing waiting for a dance partner so I chose one. I felt a bit silly. Easels are for artists. I have painted for maybe 2 months in my life. I have never done sketches with charcol and eraser. And I certainly am not an artist in PARIS! I have no idea how I got this chance but I decided to just do a lot of deep breathing. The setting was simply wonderful...I thought, "I am standing inside of the scene of a movie."
There is a bit of discussion, a phone call, a door opens and down the spiral staircase comes a very attractive..very pretty french woman. She quickly says her apologies with a smile and exits into the side office. Christian has brought the supplies for me. I am using his huge sketch pad, like the ones you see artists hauling around in those big flat black bags. He has given me chrarcol-like pieces...thin and small, almost too small to hold, an eraser, a dirty old rag, thats it. I make beauty from this? But then I open his sketch book and I see. Wonderful forms a wash with emotion. The bodies are beautiful and touchable. Any of them would be worthy of my livingroom. I love it! 10 minutes. What? Yes, we do these sketches in 10 minutes he tells me. No! We? Here? Now? Yes..look for the weight of the body, find the shape.
My fakeness is beginning to swirl in my head. Oh my gawd. And then it begins.
The lights are shining down on us from 3 stories above, bright but not piercing. The music creates a mood of serenity with energy. The beautiful, flawless french woman appears on a very small stage in front of us. She is wearing a hat ( chapeau) and a short black velevet jacket , stocking that are dark purple that cling to the top of her thighs...and nothing else. She strikes a pose.
We begin. This is crazy, I don't know how, I have never done this, not ever on a paper this big or with a piece of chalk this small, or with such little time! My list of excuses for failure is growing in my head. And then I hear a voice, "DIX MINUTES! COMMENCONS!"
I do begin. And throughout the night I hear the music and I press in. Changez! Its another pose. Cette fois 7 minutes! Changez! Cette fois 5 minutes! Allez, n'oubliez pas la direction de la lumiere! And it continued, Claud on ocassion would remind us of the time ( 2 minutes, c'est tout!) or reminded us to look for the weight of the body or the direction of the light..forget the details..just see what is there. Very sweetly he says very little to me..let the child play with her crayons!
After 40 minute I am past exhausted. My brain is swirling. Its been very intense. We have been sketching, then flipping pages and sketching and smearing and erasing. The man next to me is creating INCREDIBLE work. The art found in stores is dead and ugly compared to what I see being created here, in minutes..its amazing.
A tray appears. The model has her coat on. She is chatting with Christian. We are drinking orange juice, water and wine. There are some chips to snack on. I'm relieved. It was intense but finally its over. The juice is refreshing and I am still in a dream state.
Actually, that was the intermission. The class resumed a few minute later and I something in my brains said...I think I can do this!
The evening ended with kind good-bye and an invitation to return. I was content to return home and stew in the experience. But what about dinner? I'm asked. Well , um, sure! I had ten euro in my pocket ( about 13 dollars) and thats enough to have a cup of coffee and dessert if you are lucky.
Chris left to take the model home. I am with Jeff, thats me with him in the photo. He is an engineer, oversees constructions of buildings. We are walking and talking. I have no idea where we are going. Its interesting to spend time with old friends. They have their routines, everything is natural. I am in paris, with my beginners french, with old timers. Its quite a mix.
We are walking to the restaurant! Ah, no cars needed! Its italian, I see they are well known and welcome here! The waiters are great. We are like private guests. Magically everyone appears within minutes; you can see them all in the pictures.
The meal was incredible. Although I carefully ordered what I could afford, pasta carbonara, the rest ordered the FORMULE. When you are in paris its the way to order, like the daily special. The formule will have a fixed price and a fixed meal, appetizer (l'entree) main dish (le plat) and dessert ( same in every language! lol). For 16 euro (20.00 dollars) they had a huge salad..a plate decorated with salted fish (like smoked salmon) and every kind of fresh lettuce, tomatoes etc. It was delicious!!! ( If I have a fork, I will eat your food!) Next was the HUGE STEAK that filled the plate, and a baked veggie dish ( des legumes), and then finally dessert. The food, the conversation, it was a wonderful time of relaxation. I am sitting there with my little american self thinking.....look, I'm here, I'm Alice in wonderland. I am sitting at a table with gifted artists and actors and friends. wow.
The evening finally ends around midnight at the resto. I'm not allowed to pay, je suis invitee! They are making arrangements for tomorrow's tennis game. They play everyday. And I think, they PLAY every day!
