All Hallows Eve

With all its eerie graveyards …

…spooky entryways….

… & haunted houses…

…Charleston is a perfect place for Halloween.

It seems every doorstep is dressed & ready.

Although fall leaves are not the norm here, there are a few to be found mixed in with the palmettos. 

Ghosts & goblins have flown in for the occasion….  

…. & the stage is set for a very Witchy All Hallows Evening.

Hope yours is fun!!!!

Preserving the Past

I happened to see this touching article last week & thought it worth sharing. 

A young French solider died in World War 1. His heartbroken parents left the room of their only son just as he had left it. When the house was sold they put a clause in the deed that requested that the room remain the same for 500 years.

Although, in fact the clause has no legal bearing the two preceding owners honored the wishes of the grieving parents, leaving the room just as it was. Today, almost one hundred years later, the room remains as the young French war hero left it. Second Lieutenant Hubert Rochereau  died in battle in Belgium in April 1918 & was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honor for his bravery.  

Photos from The Huffington Post

Not only does the preservation of this room shed a light on a moment in history but it speaks to the power of a parents love as well as the heartbreak of war.

I can't imagine this touching but somewhat bizarre tribute happening anywhere but in France, so I am sharing it with Paulita's meme Dreaming of France.

Drawing Challenge : Dress

Am I the only one who remembers paper dolls? It seems they are now a thing of the past. I have many fond memories of hours upon hours spent creating & playing with paper dolls. So when I saw the theme for this weeks drawing challenge I knew that I would be reliving a happy part of my childhood.

I am having way too much fun, time to move on to some adult activities. 

Thanks Patrice for inviting me to participate & bringing out my inner child.

Autumn Light

Charleston style…..

Wishing you a light filled weekend.

Enjoy the subtleties.

l'alchimiste du potiron

Last summer I had the pleasure of having lunch with the French artist & sculptor Francoise Jolivet & her husband Roy Lekas, a documentary film maker. It was a delight to meet this charming couple & to learn about their work. Roy is American but at the formative  age of twenty he traveled to France where he immediately fell in love with France & Francoise.  He has never looked back.

Now this being the season of all things pumpkin, I thought it a good time to share some of the lovely work of Francoise. Her beautiful sculpted pumpkins or potirons have been exhibited in Paris & through out Europe.They are also the subject of a film by Lekas, 
L' Alchimiste du Potiron.
This collaborative effort by husband & wife documents the artistic process of these most intricate organic sculptures.

Photos from website of Francoise Jolivet

You may wonder as I did why the pumpkins do not decompose. Francoise has developed a method of hardening & preserving them at just the desired maturity, turning the living pumpkin into an actual stone sculpture. 

I thought that you too might find this talented couple & their work interesting just as I did.

So to celebrate the pumpkin season I am linking to Paulita's Dreaming of France.

Patterns & Details

Have a great weekend everyone!

Vintange

October is the month of the grape harvest in the Gaillac wine region near where I spend my summers. I have had the pleasure of being in France at this beautiful time of year & have many fond memories.

These photographs were taken on just such a late autumn visit. However, I was happy to see some recent photos of a harvest at a small local winery here. I adore the photo of the mid-day meal, an important part of the daily harvest.

And just in case you too are thinking of the autumn grape harvest in France I am linking this with Paulita's weekly meme Dreaming of France.