Saturday, January 29, 2011

5 weeks left

I now have an idea of what my studio would be like.... and the surroundings - it is so REAL all of a sudden....

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

ALL THE ADMIN

Never realised there is so much administrative things to do ..... the id photo's, the Schengen Visa, the transport, booking traintickets, budgeting for transport, trips, museums, learn some French...., etc. etc................... a mouthful but I am so excited..... 5 weeks to go tomorrow.....

WOW!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

On my way to the French Embassy

The photo shows: Anton Loubscher - administrator of Cite opportunities and ME and Roena Griessel, Curator of the Gallery

I made the appointment for my Schengen Visa.... now there are photo's to be taken, bankstatements, a whole paper trail to prove my existence.

But I am nearly there.... and when I walk the streets of Paris I will not be thinking of all the documents I had to gather, but I will experience - that is what I am going there for.... experience and live a little.





This past week was a busy one - opened an exhibition with 16 other friends at a gallery.... OUDE LIBERTAS Gallery in Stellenbosch. There were so many people..... it was brilliant. We are exhibiting till 28 February 2011. Shortly thereafter I am off to Paris.

On your left is Strijdom van der Merwe - talking to the guests at the opening of "Friends in Art" exhibition at Oude Libertas Gallery in Stellenbosch...... talking about the commercialization of art.





Nelis Koegelenberg Head of P.J
.Olivier Art Centre in Stellenbosch also exibits with my group of friends: "Friends in Art" - Nelis standing with his work "Kwasterjolle" which means Fun with Brushes - it depicts Koi Fish in an abstract manner

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Booked my flight to Paris this morning

What a day - after numerous searches on the Internet - I went to book my flight to Paris this morning - and this evening we paid. It is'nt a dream anymore. It is real. Tomorrow evening the opening of our "Friends in Art" exhibition in Oude Libertas Gallery - I really hope it is a good experience for one and all!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Finally the DATES

Without expecting it, my blackberry went off...there was an email and I opened it. The Cite let me know that my letter is in the post, my dates are: 4th of March I can book in, and the 27th of April - I must go home.

Finally the dates. I am so grateful. I was thinking, maybe I imagined it..... maybe it wasn't real. Now it is. My ticket will be booked this week. No later. Wow - now time is running out for all the things I still want to and have to do before I leave.... hurry up.... now is the time. JIPPIEEEEEE!

Monday, January 10, 2011

A gift for a wonderful experience


Tomorrow I will be meeting with the administrator who is holidaying in my part of the country and he will be taking one of my pictures with him to Pretoria/ Tswana. This is part of the journey to give one of your artworks to the Association of Arts to keep.

It is not in this frame anymore but you will get an idea of what I am handing over...... a bit sad but it isn't really an issue....keeping my eye on the prize...


Saturday, January 8, 2011

7 weeks to go

I am getting worried - haven't heard from the French Administration at the Cite yet, although the South African Administrator reckons I have nothing to worry about.... I have a lot of faith in him - and I believe that things will work out.

There are things I need to know. Things I have to know if I want to make arrangements before leaving. Not knowing the dates I can go is troublesome.....it makes me worry ...... but I will keep faith - I hope that in a week or so I will have word from them.

for now..... I will make my lists and be unable to do anything about it.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

So why a BLOG?

The idea is to share my thoughts, my everyday calamities and wonders along my journey on my stay in Paris. I hope to help you to see Paris through my eyes and to experience it with me and walk the road to understanding of the city, the scenery, the people and the "buzz" - I would love to take you all with me - let me know what you think about what I say and let's enjoy this trip....together in internetspace

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Beginning of a journey....

I am going to the Cite Internationale des Arts for two months....... (The Cite is a block of flats used by artists and people involved in the arts to stay in Paris and experience art in a different way..... )

The thought about doing something like this began about 18 months ago....actually no, it began when I met Paris in 2005 - yes I met the city and fell in love.

On my very first overseas visit my husband and I took our two young daughters to Paris for 3 days and I marched them up and down the different Rue to see the main highlights of Paris, the Notredame, we had to run through a section of Le Louvre, spent a small time in Musee d' Orsay and yes, we did the Eiffel as well, and the Rodin Museum..... and Disneyland Paris.

But I still had a longing to see more....to experience more. Then my art teacher told us about another artist who won the Atelier competition for artists up to the age of 35 and I thought this sounds great.....

Then in 2008 my husband and I went to Paris for a week and stayed in an apartment in St Germain..... and what an experience. I loved living in the heart of the old part of the city. We tried to experience a bit of what life is like in Paris but obviously could only experience so much.

I learnt that the South African National Visual Arts Association has the opportunity for artists to experience art and live in Paris for a while....in my case it would be 2 months.

I applied, the portfolio's was put together the admin was done...., and I was told that I would only be able to go in 2012 - I wished time away, and then a phone call from Monsieur X , (not his real name) somebody cancelled I could go a year earlier than I thought was possible.

I confirmed and now I am waiting....waiting for the French administration of the Cite International Des Arts to send me a letter to say which would be the dates I would be welcome to stay there...... still waiting - but I am so excited..... and little bit scared