Barbizon and the Fontainebleau Forest
Impressionist paintings are among the most widely known and appreciated works of art ever created. Where did this start? What kind of work was being created right before Impressionism began… what actually happened in the Forest of Fontainebleau, located south of Paris in the 1860’s? How did that shape the art genres and even the French culture that we know and love today?
Vermeer to Van Gogh, Dutch Masters at Carrieres des Lumieres
This year we returned to the show titled; Vermeer to Van Gogh, The Dutch Masters and we were not disappointed. Included in the list of stellar painters from Holland are Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. Imagine being transported inside these paintings when the projected masterpieces are monumental in size and you are able to observe the art pieces in ways you never imagined…
Josh Clare: Saints at Devil’s Gate and the Mormon Trail
A Leap of Faith. Josh Clare took an enormous leap of faith when he became involved in an extensive project with two other artist friends. This particular project spanned a few years and many miles travelled, resulting in a collection of rare master paintings that document the American landscape and more specifically, the Mormon Trail and its history. It is quite rare to find artists who can invest the time to pursue the creation of such a major body of work. As one of the most sought-after working artists of our time Josh Clare created stunning paintings of nature, landscapes, and figures. He finds sublime beauty in the simplest of things, a ramshackle barn, a stand of trees or the curve in a river banked with snow. We are delighted to host Josh teaching a workshop with us this Fall in Provence, France and want to share news of this extraordinary project he was involved in. Above: “Carry On”. Oil painting by Josh Clare. The Journey of The Mormon Trail A few years ago, Josh Clare’s friend and fellow artist John Burton grew interested in capturing the beauty and harshness of the Mormon Trail, a 1300 mile journey that took more than 70 thousand Mormon pioneers across the western states from Illinois to Utah over the span of over 20 years starting in 1846. He shared this ambitious idea with Josh and Bryan Mark Taylor and in 2011 the three award-winning landscape painters embarked on an epic artistic adventure to paint scenes from the Mormon Trail with the goal of amassing enough paintings to show in an exhibition. Thus the project called “Saints at Devil’s Gate” was born. Above: “Rock of Ages”. Devil’s Gate, WY. Oil painting by Josh Clare. Devil’s Gate As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this journey was especially important as all three artists had ancestors who had made the journey to escape religious persecution and find their “promised land”. As Josh says, ”The basic premise of the show from the start was to paint the trail as it appears today and to give people the opportunity to remember the deep faith of those who sacrificed much to come start life over in the desert.” The title of the show comes from one of the most recognizable parts of the journey, the rocky formation in Wyoming known as the Devil’s Gate. Although the pass wasn’t used as it was too treacherous, it was a well-known landmark for the travelers. The Perfect Venue: The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints When they started creating this large body of work, they didn’t have a venue for the exhibition, but continued to give time and effort to the process of creation. That was certainly a leap of faith! In 2013, Josh first approached the Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, and in 2015 they agreed to exhibit the works along with historical information to create an extraordinary glimpse into the rigors and joys experienced by the pioneers. Walking In the Footsteps of the Original Mormon Pioneers The trio traveled the trail multiple times over a 5-year span both together and alone and spent time at 52 of the most iconic and significant landmarks. They wanted to focus their paintings on areas that were mentioned in the many trail journals kept by the original pioneers. They made a point of going to the places during the same season as the original travelers so that they could capture what the pilgrims experienced, no matter what the weather was like. This meant that they were not only painting in the height of summer with strong winds blowing dust onto their paintings, but were also often painting in the snow, chilled to the bone but with the knowledge that they could always get respite in their vehicle if need be. They were very much aware that the original travelers on this route had no such luxury, in fact many of them didn’t survive the journey due to exposure, the harsh conditions and illness. However the trail was not always bleak, there were also views of unsurpassed beauty, often described by the original pioneers. Quiet Dignity in Wide-Open Spaces Josh says, ”I have some really great memories of painting the trail with John and Bryan. The time we spent painting together was a real highlight for me. There’s a quiet dignity to those wide-open spaces, space that hasn’t been altered a whole lot in all the time that has passed since the pioneers made their way across it. Much of the trail feels like sacred ground to me—consecrated by sacrifice and faith. During a trip we took in the winter to Devil’s Gate in Wyoming we were able to just make it to the site as the sun was setting. There was snow on the ground, and nobody was there besides us. It was an incredibly special moment—magic.” A Journey Documented The artists made lots of sketches and around 300 paintings along the trail and amassed a multitude of photographs. Each artist then took their sketches and small plein air studies back to their studios and created around 17 larger oil paintings each, most at around 36×48 inches and the 52 finished works were exhibited for the first time at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City in 2016. The exhibition curators showed each painting alongside a quotation or two from church members who had made the perilous journey west all those years before. The paintings were put in order from the beginning of the trail in Nauvoo, Illinois to what would become Salt Lake City, in Utah. The exhibition was shown from November 2016 until August 2017, and it was the only time all of the paintings were shown together. “Peace Be Still“, Council Bluffs, IA., oil painting. Josh Clare “Lord, I Would Follow Thee“, Gering, NE., oil painting. Josh Clare “My Strength is Sufficient“, Mount
Fine Art + Parisian Fashion
Paris is renowned for many things, including art and fashion. In 2017, Vanessa Rothe lead a group of 12 artists to Paris to experience the kind of life that the renowned painters of the late 1800s knew so well. They painted together, studied the masters at the museums, and discussed the influence of art, literature, architecture, and fashion in their work.
Art Scholarships for 2021 – Residency in France
We offer a scholarship opportunity to an artist who is actively pursuing future art goals: this full scholarship will be awarded to one of our exclusive workshops or retreats. Although it is not specifically designed for a younger recipient, we are interested in inspiring the next generation of artists to paint and pursue lives as working artists.
Our Secret’s Out: The Multi-Talented Scott Burdick
This coming October, we will be hosting world-renowned artist Susan Lyon in a masterclass in Provence, which is fantastic news for anyone who wants to study with a true master. But the best-kept secret of this masterclass is that Susan’s equally-renowned husband, Scott Burdick, will be joining us and painting right alongside her.
Rose Frantzen: A National Treasure
Rose Frantzen is a truly quintessential artist, personifying all that is unique and extraordinary about what it means to be a painter. Working primarily in oil, she specializes in figurative works, landscapes, still lifes, and thematic projects. We are very proud to be hosting a masterclass workshop with Rose Frantzen, which will take place in Provence, July 15-23, 2024. Portrait of Maquoketa After studying at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, with Richard Schmid at the Palette and Chisel Academy, and then with the late Deane G. Keller at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Frantzen returned to her hometown of Maquoketa, Iowa, making it the center and study of her artistic endeavor. One landmark project undertaken by Frantzen is entitled Portrait of Maquoketa, which focuses exclusively on the citizens of the town. The project consists of 180 individual 12” X 12” oil portraits, painted over the course of a year from a Main Street storefront, of anyone in the town who wished to pose for her. This is how she describes the project on her web site, “I wanted to paint my neighbors and fellow Maquoketans without any selection or choice on my part, attempting to capture a direct portrayal of the people around me. Together, we could democratize portraiture, allowing anyone to be painted just by showing up and participating.” From 2009-2010, Portrait of Maquoketa was shown for eight months at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Iowa Figge Art An expanded version of the project was shown in 2012-2013 at Davenport, Iowa’s Figge Art Museum. To complete her full vision for this exhibit, Frantzen painted a 315-square-foot landscape view of the town, which was broken up into 34 vertical panels. Seen from one end of the installation, the panels comprise what one would see if they were standing in the hills outside of Maquoteka. The 180 portraits of the townspeople are mounted on the reverse of the panels. Fritzen’s husband, Chuck Morris, assisted with mapping and engineering the landscape so that the panels coalesce from one point of view. John Frantzen, the artist’s brother, composed audio compositions to accompany the exhibit. The compositions include voices of the portrait subjects combined with the landscape’s natural sounds. Ultimately Portrait of Maquoketa was purchased by the Figge Art Museum, which alternately shows the installation in the museum, and tours it to other locations. In the Face of Illusion Another intriguing project undertaken by Frantzen is entitled In the Face of Illusion. This exhibit consists of portraits and figures that are integrated with optical illusions. Of the exhibit, Rose is quoted on her web site as asking, “Can we trust ourselves so much? Optical illusions remain persistent, even when we rationally know that we are seeing things incorrectly. If misperception happens with simple lines and shapes, why wouldn’t this also occur when we encounter something as complex as another human being or maybe even ourselves?” Frantzen’s other work has been widely exhibited at the Denver Historical Museum, the Butler Institute of American Art, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, and she is a multi-award winner with the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition. In addition to showing her art at the Figge Art Museum, Franzen’s work is included in the permanent collections at the Brunnier Art Museum and the Dubuque Museum of Art. Frantzen’s paintings have also been pictured in international art magazines. Franzen frequently conducts art demonstrations, guest lectures, and participates in art discussion panels. In addition to their other work, Frantzen and her husband, Chuck Morris, operate the non-profit Maquoketa Art Experience on Main Street in Maquoketa. The Art Experience offers exhibitions of regional art, art classes, and a creativity café. Learn more about Rose Frantzen’s Workshop and sign up here.
Sorolla at the Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence
For anyone attending one of our two Lavender Art Retreats near Aix-en-Provence this summer, there will be an extra special added event: the Hôtel de Caumont Art Centre in Aix-en-Provence will be presenting an exhibition of the Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla, entitled Joaquin Sorolla, Spanish Lights.
Americans in Paris, George Gershwin and Gene Kelly
When Workshops in France partners with Vanessa Rothe Fine Art to present the historical workshop Americans In Paris Paint Provence in September of this year, we will be following a tradition that goes well beyond painting.
Carrières de Lumières 2020
An Immersion into Dali’s Creative Mind. While 21st century technology has brought new dimensions to the world of visual art, there is nothing so breathtaking as Les Carrières de Lumières in the village of Les Baux in the South of France. CultureSpaces has created an immersive art experience in sight and sound within the subterranean space, with images projected onto the solid limestone walls. Regardless of the art selected, the experience is already somewhat surreal—but in 2020 it is being made even more so by an exhibition of the mind-bending creations of Salvador Dali. Spanish artist, Dali, has been astounding art lovers since the 1930s. From the melting clocks of The Persistence of Memory” to the floating figures of his muse Gala, and to the many other inexplicable visions of the universe as only he could see it, Dali’s art continues to mesmerize fans from all over the world. Now Dali’s art is presented in “Daliesque” ways that were never before possible, and that would thoroughly delight Dali himself. Dali, The Endless Enigma In this exhibit, you will actually be immersed in Dali’s works, in a digital exhibition entitled Dali,The Endless Enigma. You will walk through an enormous cavern, while Dali’s art is sharply focused beneath you on the floor, on the ceiling, and on the walls, accompanied in surround-sound, appropriately, by the music of Pink Floyd. Also on the bill is a short program of Antoni Gaudi, known as “the architect of the imaginary.” Gaudi was a great source of inspiration for Dali, and in fact his works from the beginning of the twentieth century were defended by Dali. The immersive exhibition will pay tribute to this ingenious architect through his modernist buildings that have now been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. About Les Carrières de Lumières This unique art experience is known as the Carrières de Lumières, meaning the “Quarry of Lights”. While music plays through the surround-sound system, enormous masterpieces are projected onto the 64,583 square feet of quarry walls and floors from over 100 projectors, literally enveloping you into the paintings. It is an artistic, sensory adventure like no other and it has brought us to tears with its beauty. The program is really is one of those things you have to experience to appreciate, but it is guaranteed to blow you away. Carrières de Lumières is the brainchild of a Belgian named Bruno Monnier, and his company Culturespaces. The company developed and trademarked the technology they call AMIEX (Art & Music Immersive Experience). Since the launching of Les Carrières de Lumières in 2012, they have since opened similar exhibitions in Paris (Atelier des Lumières) and South Korea (Bunker des Lumières). Due to the outstanding success of these venues, several others are now in the planning stages as well. We include this visit to Les Carrières de Lumières as part of the workshops and retreats program in Southern France. CultureSpace: Throughout our workshops, we have included a trip to Les Baux and Les Carrières de Lumières for our artist-guests. They have experienced tributes on separate years to Gustav Klimt with Egon Schiele (again they were influenced by the Japanese Style), Marc Chagall, The Spanish Masters – from Goya, Sorolla to Picasso and the Giants of the Renaissance featuring Michaelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. Les Baux de Provence Did you know that Les Baux de Provence is arguably one of the most beautiful villages in France? Phenomenal buildings and intricate facades make this village rich in historic architecture. Culinary minds can explore the delicious cuisine, quality wine, and fab company. Les Baux de Provence has been home to Carrières de Lumières since 1976.