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Painting, a creative progress

The port of Gaillac 1863, converting the foyer of  the new wine museum ‘inVINcible VIGNEron’ at Montels near Gaillac into a studio and family home…  Museum___studio_family_IMG_0500.JPG_wp.JPGThe museum is now open so you can see the work in progress. The river Tarn is still only under painted, the light here has not yet been good enough to work up the final colours.

The scene is set as an early May morning in 1863, people busy before the day heats up, some will have started work,  Gaillac_Detail_12.05.14_IMG_0525.JPG_d.JPGothers are arriving as will be various wagons with products of the region. IMG_0526.JPG_d.JPG

Following many long hours evolving the composition and building the ‘architecture’, I’ve been tinting using glazes to intensify the sense of light and depth.

Some of the buildings are now in their final or near final form however I’m still concerned that not enough research has been done to be entirely confident I have the 1863 layout spot on. Gaillac_Detail_12.05.14_.JPG_d.JPG

I’ll be researching again soon looking for more information about the buildings, the boats and activities of the people.

Of the latter the intention is to show various tradesmen, women and children going to and starting work. Gaillac_Detail_12.05.14_IMG_0525.JPG_d.JPG

You may notice some of the people, 4 horses and a cat have already appeared?  Gaillac_Detail_12.05.14_IMG_0521.JPG_d.JPG

 

 

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‘inVINcible VIGNEron’ at Montels near Gaillac has already surprised many people. One woman was reduced to tears upon seeing the tools her father and grandfather used to use.

I sympathise remembering seeing at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich a reporoduced ‘dirt floor’ boat builders work shop and knowing (35 years back when In we MD of South east Boat Builders Ltd at Rye, East Sussex) there was still one old boy working in the same conditions.

He was over 70, kept saying ‘this is my last boat’.

The fishermen would take him to the Ypres Arms and with the aid of a few beers talk him into building one more.

He worked much as people had done since the Vikings built their ‘round ships‘.

His eminently sea worth 40 foot clinker built boats were preferred over steel and plastic because the fishermen though wooden boats in the shallow Rye Bay renowned for its delicious  flat fish, plaice in particular, disturbed the fish less so meant bigger catches.

In those days Rye Bay was only worked by local men, there were many wrecked aircraft on the bottom casualties from the Battle of Britain, so the big boats kept away.

 

https://vimeo.com/76248472

 

Tél. +33 (0)5 81 02 44 89 ou email: asso.cvv@nullorange.fr

 

‘The museum ‘inVINcible VIGNEron’ occupies more than 1,200 square metres and displays hundreds of items.

 

This Museum ‘inVINcible VIGNEron’gives you an insight into the wine industry, a treasure of French culture, how it has grown and changed from the 17th century to the 20th century.