Artistic Invasion

La Consolation des Tempêtes amongst the flowers

It has always amazed me just how many different types of artists and craftsmen and women there are in this region. Saône-et-Loire has the highest number of registered "artisans d'arts" in the whole of France. There are over 100 just in the small area around here and there are more and more coming all the time.

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen the opening of the Comptoir des Artistes, in Cormatin as well as the the long awaited opening of a new pottery, also in Cormatin High Street. Besides those two, a portrait painter and his pottery illustrating partner have just opened their studio, right here in Chazelle.

Comptoir des Artistes, Cormatin

The Comptoir des Artistes is owned by Martine Borzycki a contemporary artist who has opened her doors to our all time favourite sculptor, Monique Dégluaire. I have one of her sculptures - La Consolation des Tempêtes - in my front garden and I just adore the way she creates such peaceful faces on all her pieces. Hopefully being just opposite the Chateau, she will get even more exposure for her fantastic work. The shop is well stocked with a good selection of both Monique and Martine's works but to see Monique's larger works, you still need to visit her home in Bessuge, Chapaize where she has started doing modelling courses for those budding sculptors out there.

New pottery, Cormatin

The pottery in the high street is a very nice addition to our community. We have watched as the window to his studio gradually filled up with interesting things. Tall sculpted vases and dangling bird houses have been appearing, temptingly over the winter months and finally in the last week or so, he opened the doors of his shop next door. It is well worth having a good snuffle through the things on display in his shop.

Famous local artist

We missed the opening of the studio in Chazelle because we went to a concert in Cluny, so sorry Patrick the superb quartet of brass from Paris who opened the Grandes Heures de Cluny festival in the quadrangle of the abbey, won out on that occasion. His studio is open most weekends or by appointment.

But the one artistic event we did not miss, was the exhibition held in la Salle Claude Beun where only the very best artists in town were allowed to show their works.



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In the heat of the day

Guitar festival - starts Sunday

It has been really hot the last couple of weeks, making us rather lazy, but it is getting so close to the start of the guitar festival, that today we had no other choice but to finally go out and put flyers through letter boxes.

The concerts this year look as interesting and as varied as usual, starting with a violin and a lute on Sunday. The Italian flute players are returning again to play, we have a Mexican guitar player, a Dutch trio of oboes and guitar and the festival ends with a group of Ukranian Banduras.  Not bad for a small town festival.

Delivering flyers

We got up early this morning, to try and get things done before the sun was too high and we managed four villages before we ran out of flyers and had to put a temporary stop on our work.

One of the last houses we delivered to was the “pyramid” in La Bergerie. This house is notorious for its statues of Horus with blood red eyes that scared one of the neighbours’ children and prompted the building of a horrible concrete wall round the whole property!

Contemporary art

The gate to the property has had a sign saying “Exposition espace d’art contemporain” on it for a couple of years now, but the gate has been firmly shut. When we passed today the gate was open and we were able to snap a picture of the contemporary art they have on display. I’ll leave you to make up your own mind about it.

After the second load of flyers arrived this afternoon, we were able to continue and finish Chazelle in time for the first concert this Sunday.

Café Liegeois at Les Blés d'Ors Cormatin

Well after all that work, you deserve a treat don’t you?



For information on holiday accommodation near an excellent guitar festival in Burgundy click here.