pages

▼

Monday, November 24, 2008

Paris Map Fair

Les Macarons a la pistache,watercolor 5.5" x 7.5
Before I went off to Paris I was chatting about my love of Paris Maps and chocolate maps.

So when I spotted this poster for a map fair in one of the passages the following Sunday I was hooked.Les Macarons a la framboise,watercolor on Etsy, sold 5.5" x 7.5
I'm not sure what I thought I'd find there but it was free and I LOVE maps! :)Add Image Over at Hotel Ambassador on 16, boulevard Hausmann, there was room after room of plenty of maps...And map dealers from all over Europe... And throngs of people seriously perusing all the maperie...Maps are a kind of flat art that is immediately engaging. So much imagination is implied. You can put things where ever you want them and decorate the hell out of them.
It was the crazy decorations that drew me...
There were books and books full of the things...
I love all the hand lettering too....
But particularly these illustrated cartouche called out to me...
A cartouche is an oblong enclosure originally found In Egyptian hieroglyphs and flung all over these hand-drawn maps in the most colorful and whimsical way.
So the next macaron map that comes along, I'm ready to do the cartouches. In fact I may have to create it myself from start to finish.
BON LUNDI!

at

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:40 AM

    GAWD!
    Where do you find the time?
    What with chateaux and musees and chocolate salons up the whazoo and now map fairs!
    Who could keep up with you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:42 AM

    Love the whimsical design of these cartouchie things and how you've interrpreted them!
    Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:44 AM

    tres charmante!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:49 AM

    Perhaps you can create a map of Paris with all your favorite pastry shops highlighted on it. Another with your favorite miniature shops, another with favorite flowers. This could be endless!
    Jan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Helene9:46 AM

    Another thing we have in common. I old maps too. Makes me feel like I am ready for a treasure hunt. Another thing I can't get enough o is old geneological trees, like those of the kings throughout the ages.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A Brush with Color10:38 AM

    These little cherubs are exquisite, Carol! I love seeing all your new paintings. I read the most interesting article about a man who stole antique maps from the map room at the NY Public Library in the New Yorker magazine a few years ago...fascinating, crazy article...interesting, CArol!

    ReplyDelete
  7. La Belette Rouge11:27 AM

    J'adore the heralding macaron cherubs. Adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Janice C. Cartier11:54 AM

    Ooh, LOVE these maps, and especially the cartouches... fun fun...The inside covers of my childhood set of storybooks had fanciful maps on them. Hours, I could spend hours here at this kind of fair.
    Cherubs actually eat macarons I think. At least they can sing their praises in a hallelujah chorus....;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Victoria Pittman2:00 PM

    Few things get me more excited than maps...old maps, new maps...anything. That promise of adventure and allure.

    Thanks for sharing.

    I love your cherub WCs too.


    Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cris, Artist in Oregon3:47 PM

    Love these charming paintings you have done. I think joyful artists is right, you need to do a map of your favorite places in Paris or anywhere else for that matter. Maps are fun. I had a friend who had a couple big maps of CA years ago she framed. It was fun looking at them. The charm came from them the aged look of them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4:08 AM

    The macaron is the king's cake ! Nice !

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:11 AM

    beautiful work... so many pretty details

    ReplyDelete
  13. Di Overton12:51 PM

    I LOVE old maps

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous3:04 PM

    Such FUN!

    ReplyDelete

Love hearing from you