Barcelona and Can Serrat 6

Precious hours. Filled with gratitude. Surrounded by beauty. 

"A poet is a nightingale who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds; his auditors are as men entranced by the melody of an unseen musician, who feel that they are moved and softened, yet know not whence or why."     

Shelley

 Yes. I have heard the nightingale singing at Can Serrat.

We are joined at Can Serrat by the latest resident, a painter from Denmark named Grethe Mariann Maurseth. Yesterday Grethe, Melissa and I went by bus into Barcelona and had a day relaxing in the city.

Here is Melissa as we wait for their beer and my Limoncello.

And in the foyer of the Picasso Museum.

Evidence.

Back at the residence Felix goes about his business.

Felix and Luna really do seem to be in love. They hang together quite a lot. Felix arrived at the residence first and after a short time brought his "wife". They are a beloved family here.

One morning I let myself into an empty room and shot atmospheric photos. I love the old paint on the plaster walls and the diaphanous curtains on all the windows. The light is amazing.

Five I think is the most beautiful number. I love its shape and variations in typeface design.

Beauty.

I continue to scribble and play.

I don't need a subject. Just the movement of my body across a broad canvas.

I took this shot after I'd mistaken a bottle of poisonous medium for my water bottle. I had the bottle in my mouth before something warned me that something wasn't right. I was so deep in the process of painting. This is probably why you shouldn't eat or drink in the studio. All is well though, I didn't actually drink any.

The blue painting evolves.

One more session should do it.

Can you see the dressmaker's form in the middle of the studio? I wrapped Melissa in duct tape to make a mannequin for her textile creation. She has such a tiny waist. I made one of my body two years ago and it was shaped like a penguin.

Tonight musicians are coming and we're having adult beverages and a big big party with the people who'll come from El Bruc and nearby towns. Can Serrat will rock! 

Later, 'gator. xo

Can Serrat 4

Today, being Sunday, our group of hungry artists struck out on an energetic walkabout in search of a good restaurant where we could while away the hours over good Spanish food.

The restaurant is about 45 minutes from Can Serrat over rocky ground and through brushy trails where we had to walk single file. It sure felt good to get outdoors.

This is all inside the National Park of the Mountain; Can Serrat included. That would explain the presence of so many birds, I believe.

Finally we arrive at the large restaurant which is located out in the middle of nowhere, El Bruc being a very tiny village of only 1800 population. So I was astonished to see so many people here but I'm sure they come from far away to spend the afternoon at this wonderful place: La Vinyanova. Markus, the Professor from Norway, was a room mate of the owner of this restaurant when they both lived in Oslo, coincidently, so we got a lot of personal attention. I'll introduce you to Markus in a moment. He is a tremendous human being.

We arrived at 2 pm and stayed until 6:30 pm. Everyone, it seems, takes the time to enjoy the exquisite food and wine. Children are welcome and really fun to watch.

There's an enormous fig tree in the courtyard of the restaurant and maybe later I'll tell you a little story about it. But for now just notice how old and strong it is. A beautiful specimen.

And here is our group of 13 souls, all contented and merry after hours of feasting on garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, good bread and Catalonian cuisine that included several types of meats, beans, potatoes, salads, tapas and more. Grappa and biscotti for dessert with fruit and coffee. Peasant food and so delicious.

Here are two of the loveliest people; Markus Brendmoe and my new friend Melissa who will be here in residence during my entire stay and beyond. Markus is the most amazing painter and teacher. You can read about him all over the web. He's soooo nice. I'll get Melissa's blog link for you later. She's from Toronto and has studied in Italy as well as here. She's staying 2 months this time and is interested in costume design for the film industry.

And now we're back from our outing and have returned to our tasks. Painting for them and reporting for me. 

While it's true I could have just come to Spain and stayed in a private room to paint I wouldn't have had the experience of meeting the good people I've met here or having the advantage of watching them work. They've urged me over and over to join them in painting on the big big canvases; so generous and inclusive that it makes my heart bend. So that's the thing about a residency. You broaden and make new friends. You learn about other cultures. You realize just how big the world is and how many choices you have in your one, precious, precious life.

The Seedbed of the Journal and Spain in September

This is an old journal page. I've been thinking about how one gets from zero to finding one's personal language in paint. It can be a long and arduous journey but I think I've found some shortcuts and some ways to stay motivated. Right from my first nervous steps into non-representational painting, I experimented in my journal like the page above.

Another one from the archives. These are the pages that survived my enthusiastic culling. Some of the experiments ended in disappointment. These pages became backgrounds for writing or underpaintings for other work. So the ones I liked better became records of my search.

The ones I didn't like were gone as though they never existed. Nothing lost. No record of failure. In fact, no failure at all since I learned from every single effort.

I treasure each one of these early efforts and I can plainly see, only in hindsight, what they were leading to. Not that the work doesn't continue to evolve because it does. But I can see how these small (8x10") paintings led to the more confident work I'm doing today.

This is a detail from my most recent painting on canvas. I see everything in it that I saw in the earlier work. But I couldn't have reached this point without building the platform first in a safe place. You really will need to paint many paintings to develop work that looks like your own and not someone else's. It takes self knowledge. It takes time. It takes the courage to accept something that doesn't look like work you've seen somewhere else.

So here is where I tell you about Barcelona and Bordils, Spain. Because what I've been thinking about is the upcoming retreat in September that will take place in those locations.

We'll be spending 4 days in Barcelona at the Hotel Cram.

Four days in Barcelona! Yeah. I know. Picasso, Miro, Gaudi ... some of the best art museums and architecture in the world. With time left over to make our own art, collect souvenirs, be with a group of friends who love to share ideas and experiences.

Transportation will be provided to Bordils where we will do more sightseeing, more fabulous food eating and more journaling discovery in our 2nd Catalonian location.

Oh, and if you have a big travel budget, you could also join us in Can Serrat for the first leg of this exquisite journey where we will be painting BIG paintings on canvas. A glorious stretch and a place that could be the beginning of a new life for you as it was for me after I stayed there 3 years ago.

You can dream. We only go around once. More information on Painting Big in Can Serrat HERE. (oops. This one says it's full but there might be a waiting list)

And on the Journaling part of our trip to Spain HERE. You will have me and Katie Kendrick teaching at both locations and Kathie Vezzani guiding us to some of the best food in Europe.

Adios Can Serrat

One last, quick post before I begin packing my gear and preparing myself for re-entry. I leave tomorrow morning and after 21 hours and 23 minutes travel time I'll be home. So far away. Then it exists only in my memory and in my journal. But there is evidence I was here.

Two nights ago we put on our glad rags and had a Blues Concert here along with an art exhibit by the residents. Can Serrat was full of people, music, lovers of the arts.

Of course I positioned myself in the middle of the fun. 

Taking my cue from Miles Davis I titled my works "Sketches of Spain".

We set up the exhibit in the grotto where the concert was held. Really a wonderful, atmospheric and magical place to have a show.

Chicago Blues. These guys were really good and I got to hear some of my favorite blues music. 

Have I mentioned that I love to be around artists, writers, musicians and good cooks?  

Then last night we had a quiet party with only a few friends.

Friends with kind hearts.

Polite, talented, young. It was a joy to be included. There was magic afoot.

Now it's time to cut the canvases off the stretcher bars and roll them up for the trip home. My emotions are mixed as you can surely imagine. It already seems like a dream that I made up. A dream of an imagined life. How can such beauty exist? Oh, life, you can be so hard and yet give us moments of such perfection.

Adios mis amigos. Véale detrás en el país. xo

More Can Serrat

More images from the residency. This is looking toward the grape arbor where tables are set up and where we eat. Last night we had paella (swoon); salad, bread, lots of wine flowing. 

All the kitchen appliances are named. The dishwasher is named Maria and here we have the refrigerators for the guests; Cesare and Augusto. I smile every time I pass by.

I walked into the little village of El Bruc yesterday to pick up some olives and wine and captured this scene. 

Here we are. Avenue of the dilettantes. 

Looking down at the canvases spread out on the lawn. As far as I can tell the group of Norwegians are each working on 2 canvases simultaneously; probably will do more as they are very steady. They brought rolls and rolls of various weights of cotton and linen- I think to get the feel of the various materials and to compare primed and unprimed. They party hearty at night but when it's time to get to work they're all business. I'm impressed.

In the kitchen looking toward the sink and Maria.

Another view of the kitchen. The tap water comes from the hills around us (springs?) and it's delicious. Lots of hot water for showers too - what a luxury. One of the women I spoke to yesterday is here on her 5th trip and I heard another say it was number 8 for them. Heaven! 

And while I'm thinking about how advanced they are: single payer health insurance. They love it. They can't understand why we in the U.S., such a rich country, don't have it too. We discussed politics. Yup. We did.

Another view of the industrious Norwegians.

I took so many pictures for you but burnt out on editing them. Maybe later. Here however is one shot of the flora. Asparagus grows wild and lots of succulents and roses too. Everything's in bloom it seems; spring has really arrived.

This is our building from the entrance gate. We're looking at the south-facing wall.

More of the big big paintings. (4-5 feet in each direction I'd guess but they vary).

Plein air painting. Sorta.

There's a well equipped printmaking studio here too and this is the giant press. 

Last shot of the day; the roof of Can Serrat from a different angle. Now it's time to hit the work table. I've done 3 little paintings so far and will show them to you when I'm sure they're done. xo