Meet Vanessa Rothe—Founder of Americans in Paris
You may have already heard of our upcoming event called Americans in Paris Paint Provence, which will take place in September 27-October 6, 2020. This once-in-a-lifetime workshop is a co-presented by Americans in Paris and Workshops in France, and will feature instruction by 5 of today’s contemporary masters. Americans in Paris is the brainchild of Vanessa Rothe, renowned fine artist, curator, author and designer, headquartered in the famed art center of Laguna Beach, California. We recently sat down with Vanessa to learn more about this amazing program, how it came about and what it means. WIF: What was the inspiration for your creation of the Americans in Paris art project? Americans in Paris started out with the initial idea to inspire some of the American artists of today to travel to Paris where so many great artists had gained inspiration through the ages, to collect exciting new ideas for their works of art. Following in the footsteps of the great American painters before them, such as Sargent, Whistler, and Cassat, a group of American realist and impressionist artists would travel to Paris, the City of Light, architecture, and fine art and draw inspiration from all that the city offered. There they would copy in museums, study the masters, absorb the culture, share ideas and inspiration and paint together with the goal of reaching the next level of mastery in their work. WIF: How does a project like this tie in with the purposes of you and other artists? The main purpose is to create new exciting works with important and interesting subjects. Many great artists can paint, but a project such as the Americans in Paris inspires us with exquisite subjects. We learn from European masters not only for technique, but for subjects as well, and seeing European scenes and architecture Subject matter is a big part of sales and identity to an artist. Being French and having lived surrounded by these ideas, France is a big part of my works and my identity as an artist. It’s who I am, so it’s what I paint. My whole life. I always have ideas to paint, and they sell well since my subjects are as interesting, or as beautiful or as easy to look at as they are pleasing. Painting European scenes and selling them in California has made me stand out among other landscape painters here over the last 20 years. Americans in Paris allows me to share what I do and my recipe for success with friends to help them, and also to help raise the quality of art in America in general. These are top painters and they are benefit from this inspiration. For other artists, I’m trying to introduce them to more European subjects which are considered foreign and different and exciting. For collectors, the allure of the “ foreign” is always interesting, be it clothing, art, or food. WIF: Talk about your original Paris retreat, the Paris Seminar. In order to raise funds for the original retreat, I curated an exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York in 2016 for 12 select American realist and impressionist artists. Many works were sold and we were able to plan for the journey. The first trip to Paris was actually created as a workshop week in May of 2017 that I organized to give the artists valuable relative information about art history, as well as the humanities and group figure composition. The 12 American artists painted in Paris and the Grande Chaumiere atelier for one week together, and filled their sketchbooks and minds with new ideas, some inspired by the past. The group had lively evening discussions based on specific topics, just like creative groups of the past such as the Impressionists and Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s writing groups did in the Paris bistros and bars years before. Image Courtesy of Павел Котов. WIF: What do you feel attendees took away from that retreat? Tons of new ideas, subjects, and influences from one another. They all told me it was a game changer, and they were infused with new life and ideas! WIF: Why did you join forces with Julie Snyder for the upcoming Americans in Paris/Workshops in France joint retreat? I honestly needed hep with the organizational aspect—it’s too much for one person and Americans in Paris had grown with success. I decided then, that I wanted help from a workshop, and I felt that Julie was more than capable of helping make this joint venture great. It was the perfect choice. I’ve always admired and had been watching Julie’s workshops for years. I also knew her personally from our plein air conference, and we always got along. We’re like-minded artists and lovers of France, and I’m very excited that we are joining forces. WIF: This exclusive workshop-retreat is for both artists and collectors. What do you feel attendees will achieve? I feel they will walk away with the same inspirations as those on our 2017 retreat—infused with ideas and subjects. And with these 5 teachers, they will also learn to improve their technique. In addition to all that, they get to totally enjoy France. They can focus on their art and their inspirations, without the worry of where to eat and where to stay. We all can focus on our creating! It’s a huge win for us all. We are making art history. As writers and artists of the past grouped together to share ideas and common threads, we are weaving our ideas together and creating new art. I’m very honored to help the artists of today evolve new ideas, to inspire them in a way with what comes natural to me with my French history, to share the knowledge I have of art history, and to share the beauty of Provence. Learn more about Americans in Paris Paint Provence and sign up here. Casey Childs: Youthful Decadence.
Tech, Art and a Starry Night.
Think, marvelous. Think, spectacular. Think, cool. Very Cool. There is nothing to prepare you for what you encounter at Les Baux.
You step from bright, hot sunshine into the dark, refreshing, cavernous realm of a fantastic world. Impossible to accurately describe…
Workshops in France Scholarship 2019
Scholarship Recipient 2019: Kyle Ma Workshops in France is awarding a full scholarship to one of our retreats or workshops in 2019. We look at the artist’s work, his or her passion for painting, level of production and what he or she might attain by attending one of our Retreats or Workshops. Since the mission of Workshops in France is to impact artists beyond their actual participation at a retreat or workshop and to share our lives as artists and grow as a result, it seemed appropriate to create a scholarship program for young artists. We hope that by immersion in the world of artists, a younger painter might learn what is is to live a creative life and share the inspiration and wisdom that keeps us on our own creative path. Kyle Ma – 2019 Scholarship Student. Julie first noticed Kyle in 2017 in San Diego, when as a 16 year old, he was the youngest ever instructor at the Plein Air Convention. The young artist presented an on-stage painting demonstration which impressed the entire audience. Julie couldn’t help notice this remarkable talent. Kyle Ma is the artist to watch, a prodigy and a master in the making. Born in Taiwan, Kyle moved to Austin, Texas with his family at the age of 10. He started documenting the world at age 4, and transitioned from drawing to painting when he moved to Austin. His family traveled and he visited museums to look and study master painting. By 15 years old, he began to rake in awards and be featured in major national shows including being a finalist in Southwest Arts Magazine’s Art Excellence Competition and named the Plein Air Salon Best Artist Under 30. Solo Show – number three. Recently he had his third solo show. Yep, you read that correctly — his third one-man-show and at the age of 18! He had the first and the latest one with the Wilcox Gallery and the Second at Santa Barbara’s Waterhouse Gallery. This speaks not only to his talent but his ability and dedication to produce enough work for these shows. The latest show, aptly named Prodigious Prodigy was exhibited at the Wilcox Gallery, Wyoming. Owner, Mark Wilcox said of the artist “Most lifelong professionals would be happy to produce an average Kyle Ma painting. Professionals often comment that such talent shouldn’t come so early or easily. Kyle’s drive, focus, and hard work have made him an amazing artist at a young age.” Red dots attested to multiple sales. Capturing Beauty He was always captivated by art and the beauty of the world around him. His viewpoint is easily seen through his painting. “I just want to convey the beauty of what I see. People can go through life and never realize how beautiful the world actually is. I want viewers to realize what’s out there.” We are delighted that Kyle Ma has accepted the scholarship and chosen to participate in Quang Ho’s Workshop with our team at Châteauneuf de Gadagne in June 6 – 15, 2019. Kyle’s website. If you know of an artist who should be considered for the a future scholarship, please contact us with your recommendation.
Tips For Tipping in France
A Tip about Tipping Your guide to tipping in France. Don’t Tip Excessively! How much should you tip in France? Here’s a tip – over tipping can backfire. The French have high respect for their waiters. Very often they aren’t just waiting tables until they get a real job or because they aren’t qualified to do something else. In a nation that takes food so seriously, waiting tables is a respectable occupation. Waiters are paid a living wage and do not rely on tips to make ends meet as they often do in the U.S. and other countries. So, (and this is the tip) Don’t Tip Excessively! At the bottom of your bill you might see “service compris”. That means “service included”. A few coins after a coffee or a couple of Euros after a meal will suffice. We have had waiters chase us down after leaving a restaurant to give us back the excess tip. Embarrassing? Oui! Taxi Tipping? Another tip about tipping. As some of you may be using a taxi, you are expected to tip the driver. Some places advise you to round up the cost of the trip to the next Euro, but it depends on how long the taxi ride was. To be on the safe side, a tip of around 10% of the fare is acceptable. Most Important Tip of All Express gratitude. Be friendly and respectful of those who are serving you! It brings out the very best in those people waiting upon you, and the best out of yourself. It will make your stay so much more pleasant and with sweeter memories. Blogger: Shirley Hambrick Shirley Hambrick is an award-winning stained-glass artist and painter. She has lived in Scotland, Spain and the USA. Shirley has been part of the Workshops in France team over the last few years and attended over 10 of these trips. Being Scottish, she was trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Design. Shirley teaches in the West Virginia area and you can some of her beautiful work here.
Tim Horn Workshop in France
Tim Horn’s plein air workshop in Provence is at our château near Avignon. Tim Horn is an internationally admired and collected artist who specializes in landscapes, rural scenes and man-made objects, including cars. Most of all, he is a painter of light.
Traveling with Art Supplies
The Workshops in France team has taken the mystery out of traveling with art supplies. The TSA has imposed rules about traveling with all kinds of things, including paints. Every now and again, your bag might be the one that is chosen for a random search, but if you do as we do, you shouldn’t encounter any problems.
An Interview With Brenda Sleightholme
Brenda Sleightholme is a resident of Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada. She has had an illustrious career playing piano and has been a music administrator for local, provincial and national festivals. About four years ago, she returned to painting; the art she loved as a child…
Must-Knows for Eating Out in France
France is world famous for its incredible cuisine, and for good reason. The French love their food, and travelers often visit France for the sole purpose of eating their way around. As a foreigner – especially one that doesn’t speak French – you might be surprised with French dining customs, so here’s a few tips…
Les Baux-de-Provence Quarry of Light and Art
Les Baux-de-Provence is a gorgeous stone village with little shops, narrow streets and small squares. It is known as one of The Most Beautiful Villages in France for good reason!
Instructed Workshop or Uninstructed Retreat?
Instructed Workshop or Uninstructed Retreat – what’s the difference and what’s the correct choice? Since I have done both I thought I would share my insight. I first attended one of Workshops in France’s Art Retreat in 2014 and had very little idea of what to expect…