Don't sleep in Paris

Down the street from our hotel -- the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral

A friend at George Brown College cautioned me before
I showed in the Louvre last year, not to waste time sleeping in
Paris.

Visiting for the show two weeks ago in the Carrousel Louvre
I knew what she meant.  The city is always alive.  A friend
who lives just outside of the city told us he thought there'd
be nowhere to eat late on a Sunday night, but right in the
neighbourhood on Sunday evening there were people sitting
 out at cafés with heaters overhead -- it was cold -- restaurants
and bars open at midnight.

 It sunk in in this past visit.  If you visit Paris more than once,
you can anticipate the ache you'll feel when the trip is over
 and you're back on home ground, and you don't want to miss
a thing.

But as I told my colleague -- smart people sleep, otherwise the
city is overwhelming.  Soooo much to see. And do.  And eat.
And drink.

Un coin d'appartement (A Corner of the Apartment)

Claude Monet,

Oil on canvas, 1875

One of the things I love is discovering paintings by favourite artists that

I've never seen before like this super detailed, and mysterious painting by

Claude Monet.  It's in the Musée d'Orsay.

The gorgeous restaurant in the Musée d'Orsay where

we ate with my friend Miranda Brouwers 

her husband, Rolf Leemeijer, and their sons Marnix and Hugo.

A superb surprise in the Musée d'Orsay is the beyond gorgeous restaurant above.  

The food was wonderful and we had so much fun with my friend Miranda's

family.  The staff were warm and gracious, you don't need a reservation --

incredible.

This man and his daughter were visiting the Carrousel du Louvre

and I asked if I could take their picture with my painting.  
"Mais oui!" he said, and I did.  

These very expressive sculptures of geese 

were in a gallery window.  I love how they look.

Eclipsed 

Coffee and black marker 

on Clairefontaine watercolour paper

4.5 x 7 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

The artist Barbara Muir (yes me) painted this on a small watercolour pad 

while having coffee in the Orangerie café -- but the Orangerie discussion

is for another night.  I was thinking of William Wray and his movie

Gamma Wray, and of a blogger friend I knew I'd meet back in Toronto Verna Vogel,

and this is the result.   A lot of fun I must admit, though you may not get the

connection.  They were in my mind.  Love (do I say love too often?  Is it possible

to love too much?) well I do love the work of both of these artists.  And in this

crazy world I think it's vital to love  art, and beautiful cities like Paris. 

Have a loving art Day!  And have fun!