Salon des Métiers d’Arts , Château de Monbazillac

The 6th Salon des Métiers d’Arts at Château de Monbazillac is over, after 4 days and thousands of visitors. I find it an inordinately long day manning the stand, when usually, I can never find enough hours in the day to do what I have to do, these 4 days seems to last forever, and then suddenly it’s over!  Marilyn, once again, saved the day, generous with her  help and time,  helping set up, pack up  and sometimes man the stand, to give me a break. Another big thank you, M! There was a lot of interest in my press book  and several contacts were made, and some paintings sold, so all in all, it was  a profitable exercise ( and I do not mean just financially, because it’s stimulating to meet up with the other artists.  They are a great bunch, and as we all have such solitary occupations, it’s good to meet up once in a while).)

I include a few pics of 5 of those with whom I exhibited. There were 50 of us in all, many and varied. UnfortunateIy, I did not get to photograph everybody.

 

1. Gilles Candelier, who works in copper and different metals, uses acids to ‘paint’ with. He is always surrounded by hordes of visitors,  for he is so amusing and entertaining to listen to. His quirky narrative works can be thought-provoking, yet humorous, with a touch of irony. This piece here is called “19h30”, the hour when people return from work; their individual stories being told in the apartment block which is seemingly ‘sliced’ through like a doll’s house.

2. Anneke Foulon , who designs and creates beautiful but useful items and objects, from exquisite antique fabrics,  sometimes mixed with leathers. She makes bags, sketchbooks, jewellery, each of which is unique; her dog Eeny Meeny is essential to overseeing the exhibition. ( we get many canine visitors).

3. The jeweller Annabelle Degroote, she also runs a family wine making business, so her  jewellery is inspired by the vines. It often incorporates the vine tendril literally growing through precious stones which she has  randomly placed through the vineyards. She harvests them later in the year, how exotically like a fairytale is that?

4. Daniel Salvucci, sculptor, whose woodcarvings are beautifully tactile, sometimes intricate ,  sometimes simple, sometimes leaving the natural tree growth in the block.

5. Daphné Lambrechts. A very clever artist creator , who works with cardboard, her imagination knows no bounds.

 

Well, that’s it for another year! It is a wonderful venue, the château itself commands amazing views over the Dordogne valley; Bergerac looks like a toy town in the distance, the surrounding vines are  lime green with fresh growth. The new season has started for both artists and winegrowers.

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