The Best Instagram Accounts to Follow and Stay Inspired. Here’s My Top 9.

 

Life is an art.

Inspiration is sometimes needed to keep us motivated. Instagram has inspirational content. They call it inspo.

I am recommending here, 9 super Instagram accounts to follow. When I open my app I  expect to see images of fabulous French life, and my soul is filled with inspiration.

I’m a firm believer that our own futures are influenced by what we look at today and where we put our attention. So I decided, why not select those influences? I am an undeniably biased Francophile. I love the culture, food and art of France and constantly turn to specific Instagram accounts that highlight these ideals. These fuel my interest in making my own tomorrow filling it with beauty. 

1.Château Gudanes @ChateauGudanes

It takes courage, vision and hard work, but they have a vision. This family is certainly creating their future.

Follow the adventures of an Australian couple who are renovating an 18th-century French château. Château Gudanes is located in the Southwest of France near the border next to Spain. Check out these gorgeous images of the ongoing restoration.

@chateaugudanes

2. Flying Circus @CircusBakeryParis

Is this the circus come to town? No, it’s a boulangerie, the bakery.

I can imagine the smell.

Fresh bread in the morning delivered to your doorstep, that is the beautiful and elegant door to your Parisian apartment. Stunningly inspiring images from the Circus Bakery, a boulangerie in the Latin Quarter, not far from Notre Dame. An appetizing array of bread and buns on this account are matched by gorgeous pictures of their delivery bicycle photographed in front of those elegant Parisian doorways. Better still, check out their highlights (the circle image thingies below their profile data). What a tease! At least it’s a calorie-free experience.

@CircusBakeryParis

 

3. Cheese Seller @laurentdubois_fromager_paris 

France has over 1,500 different varieties of cheese. Might as well start here.

You’ve seen the bread, now what about the cheese? France has arguably some of the best cheeses in the world.

Like wine, cheese can be paired with a variety of food, from chocolate and figs to cured meats known as charcuterie in France. But cheese is so much more than an accompaniment in France. It is elevated to an entire course at dinner. With so many types – this is your sampler. Don’t you wish you could download a “scratch and sniff” app?

@laurentdubois_fromager_paris

 

 

 

4. The Earful Tower @theearfultower 

Superb podcast. English-speaking account of life in Paris.

This is an interesting account from Australian podcaster, Oliver Gee, (yes, yet another francophile from down-under) who shares his discoveries while living in Paris. He interviews all kinds of people who have a story about France, local culture or those who just want to share their favorite French word.

Explore the city of lights on his Instagram – but better still, listen to his podcast, The Earful Tower.

@theearfultower

 

5. Bistro Life @l_ami_jean

Chez L’ami Jean Bistro. A yummy eyeful in the 7th Arrondissement area of Paris 

Transport yourself into the Bistro life of Stéphane Jégo of Chez L’ami Jean, caring for the culinary needs of his clientele. Whether he’s behind the counter, in the kitchen or on the street, the images are real. I don’t pretend to understand everything he says, but he’s the real deal, working hard, feeding his customers with genuine French dishes. I wonder what’s on the menu today?

@l_ami_jean

 

 

6. Remembering Vincent @vangoghmuseum

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

You can say he had a tragic life but Vincent van Gogh touched many lives. Of course, he is much admired for his beautiful paintings. Despite his dramatic story, his love of nature and his passion to be an artist reminds us not to take our blessings for granted, and that he simply painted his truth that is reflected in his work.  He was highly influenced by the South of France. He painted its people, the life around him, and the light. In St Rémy de Provence, where we go on all of our French retreats and workshops, we paint where Vincent painted, in the very place where he lived for almost a year. Each time we go, it feels like a pilgrimage to a sacred space. The Van Gogh Museum keeps us served with pictures of his art, his life, and contemporary images too where his influence is still reaching far and wide. 

@vangoghmuseum

7. Paris to the North, Aix-en-Provence to the South @aixenprovencetourism

Aix-en-Provence from their tourism office.

Featuring eye candy from the Provençal city of Aix-en-Provence. It’s not hard to find alluring subjects here. Aix boasts some of the most elegant architecture in France, it has frequent colorful outdoor markets, and it is also a university town complete with a vibrant youth culture, all making it an extremely worthy of a camera. Aix has a unique history as the former Roman capital of Provence, even before France was called France. There are Roman ruins in the area that serve as a reminder that the local civilization has ancient roots. But fast forward to the birth of Modernism and you would find Cézanne at home here. When we visit Aix, we visit his studio. This city also claims to have a thousand fountains. We visit this wonderfully vibrant city often. You can too, through this account.

@aixenprovencetourism

8. Museum of Lavender @museedelalavande

Lavender comes in the summer but you can visit the museum any time.

You can visit the museum at any time of year through their account. If you want reminders of vast fields of lavender in bloom as far as the eye can see, or the honey bees that pollinate them, or the artifacts left over from the ancient ways of distilling oil from the crop, add this one to those accounts that you follow.

We rarely visit the Musée de la Lavande when in Provence, that’s because when the lavender blooms we head off to paint it. But they do have a gorgeous Instagram account.

@museedelalavande

9. Workshops in France @Workshopsinfrance

One of the top nine for sure!

If you don’t follow us, you should.

We take the time to post wonderful images and rare content on Instagram. Through our account, we find new artists all the time, and we doubt that we would ever meet them in the real world. But we have become their follower and  stay in regular touch. They join in our challenges and our giveaways. We recently collaborated with Michael Harding and participated in giving away three artists sample sets of Michael Harding paints. And we’ve found homes for Rosemary Brushes through our challenges. Yep, let’s just go ahead and toot our own horn, saying we are an excellent Instagram source for art, inspo, yummy food, images of artists at work, and behind-the-scenes views of the workshops.

We are a group of artists creating our lives!

@Workshopsinfrance

Heart image from Alejandro Barba. @alejandrobrb

Instagram may disappear and become replaced in time. But for now, it’s a gift for artists and is a powerful social app for creative people.

Did you read our companion blog “Why on Earth Should Artists be on Instagram“? Check it out if you are wondering if you should have an account on this Social Media outlet. We think it’s a gift for artists and a great way of exposing your art to collectors and galleries.

Once you’re on it, how do you get those followers? What should you post and how often? And is Instagram really instant? Well, those are good questions and we will answer them in future posts.

We are on Instagram. We have guests from across the globe and when we ask them “where did you discover Workshops In France?” More and more frequently the answer is “Instagram”. Follow our WorkshopsInFrance Instagram account. We also promote our guests’ artwork on our other ArtWorkshopsInFrance account. If you have been on one of our adventures and would like us to show your work, don’t forget to use the hashtag #artwif so we can find and post your art!

 Blogger: Julie Snyder

Julie Snyder is a professional artist and also the programs director of Workshops In France.  A native of Scotland, she is a seasoned traveler who splits her time between California and France.  She is an avid Instagram user, @juliesnyderartist. You can learn about her role with Workshops in France here.

Shirley Hambrick artist

Check out more blogs about art workshops, tips and hacks for artists traveling in France and Scotland.

Sargent And Spain Exhibition Delights

Sargent And Spain Exhibition Delights

Being a frequent traveler, arguably his genius was the ability to capture the light of the Mediterranean. In this collection, you can see that particular Spanish light. It’s similar to the Mediterranean light we encounter in Provence and Tuscany. The take-away from this show is the inspiration and invigoration that comes from travel can ignite any artist and when you are Sargent, the world will look upon the pieces for generations to come.

read more
Barbizon and the Fontainebleau Forest

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?

read more

Your Artist Getaway Awaits

Get the latest!

Get early access to exclusive workshop annoucements, art exhibitions, news and more!

Painting Provence

You have Successfully Subscribed!