Huffingtons in Espadrilles

One of our favorite shows to curate and hang is our annual Bastille Day show. Being the Francophiles we are, we’ll take any opportunity to indulge in anything French - especially art. We’re lucky to work with a number of wonderfully talented and diverse French artists and we love this opportunity to let their work shine at the gallery.

We always strive to show a wide range of style, medium and price, and this exhibit is no exception. We have works on paper, panel, and canvas; abstract and representational; watercolors, acrylics, and oil; and a nice assortment of prices. In fact, we’re coining a French phrase: “Raport, Qualite, Prix” to sum up the terrific value of much of this work.

Ann hard at work perfecting the lighting (behind her you can see a sneak peek of some of the new work for the show).

So, we’ve hung the gallery with our French treasures, ordered some light and delicious rouge and blanc for sipping, and arranged for some lovely little French inspired nibbles, this year from a local restaurant, Anis (funnily enough, it was at Anis five years ago this summer that Ann and I shared a bottle of rouge over lunch and at the end of the afternoon, became business partners).

Anis

We’ve reserved our favorite (and slightly cheeky) accordion player, and will open our little blue door and let the fete begin. (In true Atlanta style, it is usually swelteringly hot and humid for this event and we encourage our attendees to dress coolly since our little air-conditioner has a hard time fighting the temps.)

To add to the ambiance, we Huffingtons will be sporting our new obsession: French espadrilles, hand-picked by Ann for each of us.

We can only imagine the fun she had tracking these down at little village markets – definitely a case of “someone’s gotta do it.” We had to give our cute footwear a trial run as we hung the show and everyone’s giving a big thumbs up. They wear like little slippers and, of course, we love the ever-so-French air they give us all.

Who would have thought that our new espadrilles would perfectly match the new work we’ll be featuring in the show?

Ann spent quite a bit of time figuring out who would get which espadrille. She wisely chose a wonderful taupe-y and neutral pair for Linda and me; elegant red, cream and army green stripes for herself; snappy white and blue for Sam; white for Sarah; and multi-colored stripes for Rachel. We love how our new shoes fit our personalities perfectly, and we’re pretty sure they will be come the footwear de rigueur around the gallery for the rest of the summer.

Ann’s selections for us: (L-R) Sam, Meg, Sarah, Rachel, Ann, Linda.

Meg, Ann, & Linda…

…and their espadrilles!

So, that’s what we’ll be doing this coming Wednesday, July 14^th. We’re celebrating the storming of the Bastille – and all things French – and if you’re local, we hope you’ll stop by to say bon soir.

Tata!

M.

Holy Moly, What a View!

Postcards from Paris…

The crown jewel of Paris

With no multiple listing service and realtors competing against each other, plus a shortage of inventory and sky rocketing prices on top of a painfully unfavorable exchange rate, it can be very daunting looking for an apartment in Paris, even if you speak the language and think you know your way around the internet. Or so I've learned the hard way.

There are a several buyers’ agents out there, but they typically charge a very hefty fee for their service and I have been determined to try to beat the system and do it on my own. I've found several “by owner” sites on the internet and learned that their prices are as high and sometimes higher than the realtors, but at least they offer more inventory, since many of the realtor sites just offerthe same, tired and inferior apartments over and over.

Not only have I pored over the for sale listings, and subscribed to dozens of listing sites, but I’ve also read through all of the apartment rental sites to determine what makes a perfect rental apartment, if I want to rent it when I'm not there. For example, an elevator is absolutely essential if the apartment is on the 2^nd floor or above. Personally, I like the exercise and enjoy going up several flights of stairs to be as high as possible (which in Paris is usually the 7^th floor unless you are in one of those rare “modern” buildings, which could go as high as ten or fifteen). But most people don’t like to lug their suitcases up more than one floor, so an elevator is essential.

That rules out many apartments in the older Arrondissements, like the 5^th and 6^th, because those 17^th century buildings often cannot accommodate elevators. And some of the elevators in the newer, “Haussman” style apartment buildings are so tiny and scary, I wouldn’t be caught dead riding in them. But an elevator is that prized possession that is essential in a rental, and it automatically jacks up the price by as much as 100,000 or even 200,000 euros in some prime buildings.

And then of course rule #2 is that you need to be in an old building, preferably 1900’s or before, but preferably with high ceilings. 1930’s buildings have recently come into favor with realtors, but Americans who rent apartments in Paris are really looking for the quintessential Parisian experience, and that is the Haussman like apartment with French doors, parquet floors, fireplace, molding, a bedroom overlooking a courtyard and a living room facing a tree and café lined boulevard. Rule #3 is, a view.

Photo courtesy of Paris Perfect, View from “Champagne”

Some of the rental agencies think that a view is the most important feature in a rental, especially if there is a view of a coveted monument or, perhaps the greatest of all, the quintessential Paris landmark, the sparkling Grande Dame: the Eiffel Tower.

So imagine my excitement when one of my favorite agents, a woman who owns one of the best rental agencies in town, sent me an urgent email with an apartment whose views were so distinctive and amazing, I could barely hold myself back from excitement. This is it!! Look no further!! On one side, there was a sweeping, in-your-face view of the Eiffel Tower. On the other side, a view of the Paris skyline and the golden dome of the Invalides. And all along one side of the apartment, there was a large and wide terrace, with enough room to seat two tables of six – an almost unheard of commodity in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower at dusk

The golden dome of the Invalides shimmering in the distance.

Oh la la, La Paris!

The apartment had been purchased by an English couple but for some reason they pulled out at the last minute (the French law is rather forgiving in this way), and so it had recently come back on the market, and my agent was sure that it would sell quickly.

An amazing view is a precious commodity in Paris. A private terrace is an even more precious commodity. So imagine having an apartment with views to die for AND a huge terrace from which to enjoy them! It sounded like a dream come true. Plus, I really trust and respect this agent, and if she says it’s a good apartment, then I know that it is.

A little oasis in the city.

The perfect spot to relax and soak up some sun.

Dining al fresco with a view of Paris…perfection.

Flowers mingle with view of the cityscape.

But as I started examining the pictures more closely, I realized that the floor was prefab parquet, the architecture was 1960’s boring, and the neighborhood was so-so. I actually sort of welcome an ugly interior, because it’s more of a challenge and more satisfying to transform it. And I even welcome the challenge of turning a boring 60’s modern apartment in to a beautiful 21st century modern mixed with antiques and a little glam. But the common areas of the building and the outside are a different matter.

Lots of potential here!

The kitchen: not great, not terrible. At least there are windows!

I got out my trusted Google maps and walked up and down the street, looking for restaurants and quaint little shops. Although the 7^th arrondissement in general is my favorite, and the whole area is known to be safe, bourgeois, and very appealing, the immediate surrounding this apartment were not, and the street and apartment building were downright disappointing.

Although I welcomed the challenge of an inside renovation, I knew that nothing we could do could change the outside of the building or the lobby. I was also surprised that my favorite agent had suggested this to me, since she was the greatest proponent of buying “old.” But she insisted that the view was worth it and although she agreed that old would be better, and this one lacked charm from the outside, the apartment itself would be highly rentable.

The rather foreboding entrance ...

Not quite the entrance I have been dreaming about ...

What happened to architecture in the 1960's?

And that’s when I realized that although renting was part of our purchase decision, I didn’t want it to be the only driving force. I would be living there too, and I needed to love it and feel comfortable. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to apologize for the building that we were buying in to. I already knew that this was going to be a game of give and take, but I didn’t think I could take the bad with the good on this one. So we nixed it, and moved on. No regrets, except maybe that unbelievable view. Luckily, there was an exciting opportunity that popped up on the horizon … stay tuned for “Happiness on the Ile St. Louis.”

Tata!

A.

He’s So Good: Christian Nepo, Part II

Christian Nepo, Le Pecheur

In 2003, just as I was preparing for a very large exhibition in my home, Monsieur Nepo sent me twelve oversized oil paintings, rolled up in a tube. We had decided it was time to go larger, and he had worked painstakingly on this new series for several months. When the tube was delivered from FedEx, it was unusually light. When I opened it, my first thought was that this was some kind of a joke: It was empty!

After many anxious phone calls to the artist, and to multiple FedEx locations, I was told that three of the paintings had been recovered on the warehouse floor, but the others couldn’t be found. We patiently hoped for the other nine to arrive, and when they didn’t, I took my complaints to the President of FedEx. My lawyer brother helped me draft a few letters, and we thought that if they couldn’t find the paintings, at least they’d find the decency to reimburse the artist. But that never happened, and we were all left devastated and deflated.

One of the paintings that FedEx lost. Tragic.

That was the first time Christian Nepo totally surprised me. After a month of paralysis, when he couldn’t even look at a paintbrush, he woke up one morning and decided that he would take this as a sign, and paint in a whole new style. It was a true testament to this man’s talent, range, and fighting spirit that when he did pick up a paintbrush again, the work was light, happy, and completely different from the ones that were lost.

Nepo’s “new” style after the FedEx Incident

An example of an older, but similar, work that shows how Nepo’s style has progressed.

Monsieur Nepo has also distinguished himself, happily, as the only artist whose work has suffered losses in our gallery not once but twice! What is it about this artist that invites a brush with disaster? Just last year, at our Bastille Day celebration, we received several marvelous little jewels from Nepo, some of which were framed, and others were sitting delicately on easels during our show, with one of our favorites, prominently displayed by the front door.

The bad news is that this painting boldly walked out the door during the middle of our show. The good news is that not only was there a major outcry from the local press about this, but the theft actually made it to front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as well as a feature on the local TV news (link here).

The stolen one!

As a result of this unfortunate incident, we upped our security standards and installed metal detectors for most of our shows (only kidding – our surveillance cameras are well hidden!). We hope that whoever absconded with our little jewel is way too shamed and embarrassed to ever even enjoy it. And we’re happy to report that we’ve not had any incidents since then (although we did get a barrage of phone calls from other retailers telling us who they suspected might have committed the theft!).

As for Monsieur Nepo? He emerged from this one unscathed and rather bemused that his work attracts so much attention, from good guys and bad guys alike, in Atlanta.

Meg, Christian, and Linda

It is with great pride and delight that we will be introducing new work from our wonderful artist, Christian Nepo, at our Bastille Day Show, July 14th. We hope you’ll join us for a very French toast to our beloved but distant friend!

Tata!

A.

He's So Good: Christian Nepo, Part I

Christian Nepo, Clearing Storm

When we were approached by one of our favorite designers recently to commission Christian Nepo to do a large painting for a clients' family room in Florida, we were a little reluctant at first. After all, Monsieur Nepo is known for his miniature, delicate little jewels, and we weren't certain that his refined work would translate to what the designer, Mallory Mathison, had in mind. And since a brush with disaster, several years ago (read on…), we realized that asking Nepo for big paintings, when he is used to painting small, might not be a wise move.

One of the new “big” works! Christian Nepo, St. Tropez, oil on canvas, 48 x 33”

But we tossed it out to him, and waited patiently to see what would transpire. Imagine our surprise when we received not one but three marvelous, large paintings that not only completely fulfilled the clients’ needs but also apparently liberated Monsieur Nepo into a new found freedom that he’d forgotten about.

Christian Nepo, Houlgate, oil on canvas, 48 x 33” (another larger work- breathtaking in person!)

He thanked us for the commission and the direction which got him back to painting big again. He even told us that thanks to this commission, he was undertaking a whole new series of paintings for an exhibit in his native France, and giving us a few of the best ones (at least we think so!) for our upcoming Bastille Day Show.

Le Havre

Setting Sail

Beached in Brittany

We’ve been working with Christian Nepo for many years, and it wasn’t the first time he surprised us. Christian’s wife, Bernadette, still pulls out the tattered and worn little scrap of paper she wrote on the day that I first discovered his work, in France, nine years ago. I remember being so excited that an artist could capture the romantic feel of one of my favorite artists, the pre-Impressionist Eugene Boudin.

Eugene Boudin, Vue du Basin de Trouville, oil on canvas, 12.75 x 18”

Christian Nepo

I loved the cloudy skies with just a hint of blue peeking through, the glint of light, the soft figures in their timeless dresses, and the striped cabanas on the beach. I loved the little figure in red who hides in most of his paintings (Where’s Nepo?!), and the romantic old worldliness of his compositions.

Always a little man in red!

I especially loved the delicate brushstrokes, painted with the confidence of a fourth generation artist. I was so excited that I promised Bernadette that if I could have a series from this artist, I would sell all of them. Such chutzpah! No wonder she took careful notes on everything I had to say.

Madame and Monsieur Nepo and our own Linda

I worked very successfully with Nepo for several years, before we opened the gallery, and sold dozens of his paintings from my house. I knew I was on to something the day that another gallery owner who specialized in very high end (and absolutely exquisite) 18^th and 19^th century paintings bought four Nepo gouaches for their private collection.

A beautiful, loose gouache

Another lovely gouache of a colorful group around a table.

The artist continued to paint beautiful, moody, beach scenes inspired by his childhood memories of Normandy. I was thrilled with the beauty of his paintings and this artist’s obvious talent. He was thrilled with his new best friend from Atlanta who bought and sold his entire collection.

And then disaster struck… (stay tuned for….“He's So Good, Part II”).

Tata!

A.

How Could We Ever Pick a Favorite?

Ann

When Meg first told me about her idea for this blog -- that we should all pick one favorite painting hanging in the gallery right now -- I balked, "I can't do that! It's like picking a favorite child!". In fact, it is a painfully hard exercise to try and narrow down all my favorites to one painting, and I'm not sure that I am capable. If they're all really small, can I please have three? If so, they would be (I know I'm bending the rules, but I can't help it!) :

Nancy Franke’s In the Spotlight, oil on canvas, 10 x 10”

For me, this painting is perfection. It is pure magic. The composition is so simple yet so powerful and it is painted with Nancy Franke's signature confidence. There is something so elegant about the patrician pear, standing tall, and ever so protective of the little apple next to it. You can’t help but think of it as a happy little couple. And I love the roughness of the paint, and the sketchiness of the background. Of course, the translucent quality of the color is also exquisite. I absolutely love this painting and would never ever tire of looking at it.

Amy Dixon’s On the Horizon, oil on board, 6 x 6”

I was out of town when this one arrived, and my reaction was, “Whoa, this is fabulous!,” when I saw it in real life. I love a little painting that carries a big punch, and that is exactly what this one does. Evocative, mysterious, romantic and so beautiful. Again, I’d never tire. (And by the way, wouldn't it look great with Nancy’s In the Spotlight!)

And just to sneak in one more little jewel: this is another diminutive painting that I just picked up from our artist Andree Thobaty, for our Bastille Day show. It’s a study of India Ink and ochre powder from the ground in Provence.

Andree Thobaty, Encre de Chine, 5 x 5”

She did a series of 10, and I would like to own four of them and hang them as a wall in my new dream apartment (when I get it!). Unfortunately, Meg and I have this annoying rule that we need to sell paintings to clients before we can buy them for ourselves. Oh well … I guess that’s why we have a gallery! So we can enjoy them from 9 to 5, until they sell, and then we can have new favorites to blog about!

Meg

I find myself falling head over heels about once a week here at the gallery. What's got me smitten right now is Amy Dixon's By The Window. The figure is elegant and sexy and I love the way Amy has light falling over the angular parts of the body. The composition is beautiful - my eye is drawn instantly to the figure, but the architectural planes on the right side of the canvas also pull me in. The painting is tonally balanced with light and dark playing off one another. And, finally, what initially drew me to this painting is the glorious palette of soothing, calm and clear colors.

By the Window, oil on canvas, 36 x 48”

I had a little fun on the computer when I was thinking about this painting and wondered how it would look placed in different settings (thanks to House Beautiful for their always gorgeous images).

House Beautiful, July, 2007

House Beautiful, January 2009

House Beautiful, February 2008

If Ann can have three favorites, then I can have two! My runner-up this week is Onyeka Ibe's Village In the Mist. It's a simple, strong painting that appeals to my "less-is-more" aesthetic. I love the symmetrical shapes of the houses and the powerful brushstrokes that compose the background.

Ibe, Village in the Mist, oil on canvas, 20 x 20”

Sam

Doug Foltz’s But I’ve Been Wrong Before, oil on canvas, 30 x 48”

There is something so calm and peaceful about this painting that can take you out of a hurried and hectic moment and transport you to a place and time when your world was defined by the beauty of the backlit horizon and the absence of any pressures other than the joy of feeling the waves gently lapping at your feet with the promise of a soothing and tranquilizing sail to explore the promise of a new adventure.

(Oh yes, and how often do you hear a man say, much less see in writing, "But I've been wrong before." I'm sure his lovely wife Alecia helped him with the title.)

Linda

Silke Henkel-Wallace’s Interieur I, oil on canvas, 54 x 54”

I love Silke’s Interieur I for so many reasons. I love it because of the beautiful color palette and the oh-so French subject of a beautiful lustre (chandelier). I am obsessed with lighting and always have room in my valise for a sconce or two from France. I also love the juxtaposition of such an elegant subject; the chandelier and piano with bold, edgy brushstrokes and dripping paint.

Sarah

Pascal Bouterin's Le Grand Canal, oil on board, 30 x 60”

I’ve loved this painting from the first moment it entered the gallery. The colors and texture lend the piece amazing depth and energy that really capture the viewer and draw you in. By layering similarly toned colors, Pascal creates a seamless sea and sky, while Venice seems to float in between. When approaching the city of Venice via a water taxi, this is exactly the illusion that appears- a majestic floating city.

This painting has a strong horizontal element that allows it to hold its own on any wall, no matter the scale of the room or furniture. Yet at the same time, the soft, almost feminine color palette gives the painting a quiet serenity that make it ideal for any room in your home, including a bedroom. I’m a lover of all things Italian, so the fact that this is the Grand Canal in Venice makes it all the sweeter!

Rachel

Karen Bezuidenhout's The White Horse, oil on canvas, 48 x 48”

This is my favorite painting hanging in the gallery right now. It has a fantastic, striking composition with a sophisticated, monochromatic color palette. I imagine this painting hanging in a fabulous cream bedroom with dark wood furniture to create an elegant beauty.

~~~~

We hope you'll stop by the gallery and let us know which painting is your favorite! (And don't worry if you can't pick just one- it's a difficult task, to be sure)

Tata!

HH