Jardins, Jardin 2023

Yesterday I ate a hot air balloon 🎈 cookie 🍪 

I sniffed beaucoup beautiful roses 🌹 

Jardins, Jardin aux Tuileries, June letter, La Grand Jatte

Only in Paris' parks will you find the iconic, olive green metal chairs. Instant recognition. The annual JARDINS, JARDIN is taking place in the Tuileries this weekend. Garden events take place all over France in June. More giant flower pots 🪴 

There are the usual plant venders. But also stunning, ingenious garden ideas to get you thinking anew.

I wouldn't have minded taking home some organic herbs plants for my roof.

Sculpture Cloé Leray of Fontainebleau makes joyous metal garden delights. A big step up from your usual garden elves.

Supermarché Franprix has a relaxation area - sit in the shade, read garden books and munch on their tiny cocktail tomatoes and perfectly ripe apricots.

These strawberry pots on display are sitting atop other pots

In this curious conservatory structure. Walls of variety grasses are hot too at the expo.

Another 'stand' made only of giant clay pots. Spectacular!

A 3-story construction of just plants with a terrasse included. I should have climbed up.

Delicious free tastes of sugar-free smoothies. Get the green apple, kiwi, spinach concoction.

You can not have a garden in France without some kind of Champagne glass holder, even if it is a mere pitchfork stuck on a planter. It simply isn't done darlings.

Still under the influence of Georgianna Lane's Paris In Bloom, I'm drawing a map of her favorite Paris parks. But what to do for June's PB letter? While researching Pissarro, this wonderful Seurat (his post-Impressionist contemporary) popped up - 'La Grande Jatte. I knew I'd found my June letter art.

A really fun way to discover what makes a great painting great is turn it into a coloring book image. Then build it back to the original color by color. I started with the largest area first - yellow.

The minimal touches of very bright red draw your eye around the picture. So far so good.

After adding the bluish purples I wondered if I should stop there.

The mass of velvety green was OK but I started getting nervous. Who did I think I was messing around with Serat's masterpiece?!

I bit the bullet and plunged on. Hope you like it.

Coming back from the Jardins Jardin expo I spotted these Parisians lunching on the iconic green chairs in the garden. A modern-day Seurat if ever there was one non? Consider a visit.

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I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

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☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  🥰  ❤️ Thank you so much! 

Andre Le Notre in Perspective Exhibition, Versailles

If you're going to  move to a part of town.

Where every building has a plaque declaring it was build in the 17th century.

You better dive into the deep end of French histoire. Particularly architectural history of Louis XIV. Last Saturday I went to see the soon-ending exhibit of Andre Le Notre in Perspective at Versailles. It’s just a 20 minute TER train ride from Gare Montparnasse.

Andre Le Notre was the son of the former king's gardener.

He was a great deal more than a gardener.

He plotted each jardin à la Francaise on a grand scale.

Saturday was a lovely, sunny day with few crowds at Versailles.

Andre Le Notre was born right in the Tuileries gardens.

Does it get more perfect than that?

The exhibit is large and detailed.

Louis XIV on a charging horse.

I wondered if I should be painting PBers astride galloping horses?

Quite an impressive man, Andre Le Notre. He amassed a huge collection of art as well as studying 5 years with painter Simon Vouet.

Have they saved ever line he drew ✏️ 

Witty topiary sketches. The man worked 7-days a week as artists tend to do.

Enfin the gift shop! One needs a few 17th century items doesn't one?

Lovely garden mats for a mere 5 euros.

An irresistible plate only 11 euros.

We resisted the Marie-Antoinette T-shirt but very mignon we thought.

To-die-for cups but they were 29 euros... triste

The town of Versailles offers plenty of temptations

Gateaux M-A could have munched on.

A bombe aux marrons !

Gorgeous macaron boxes that double as décor non? Back in Paris scented candle-maker Diptych had topiary in their vitrines...to swoon for. I think I'm entering my 17th century obsession period.

Les Grandes Eaux et Jardins Musicales de Versailles

'Last night I dreamt I went back to Manderley'...no wait it was Versailles! 
The plan was to visit the marché Notre Dame in town and look up a few patisseries. The musical fountains were an afterthought. *Take the Direct train from Gare Montparnasse. No fancy trellis decor but just 13 minutes et voila. Get a free 'plan' or city map (not a carte as yours truly called it. Carte = menu ahem) at the welcome desk in the Versailles Chantiers train station. Then take the B bus across the street and more voila. FYI the above watercolor is mainly Burnt Sienna _ Fr Ultramarine blue (Winsor and Newton watercolor paint).
See! You don't need 60 colors.

I did this tracing on top of my iPad.

From this photo.

A BIG MERCI for supporting Parisbreakfast dear PBers! Just a few more watercolors to ship out. Now back to those delightful fountains.

The weather cleared up so I headed to the Versailles gardens. You'll need to buy a ticket. Some cafes even sell them and have signs outside. No free entry when the water is bubbling (3:30 to 5pm, 8.50 euros). I love these hole-in-the-wall entryways leading you down a long dark passage. Then suddenly...

You're in a grand enclosure.

'Conceived exactly as open-air drawing rooms, the groves in the garden contain superb examples of 17th and 18th century decorative arts.'.

Other fountains are out in the open. The negative ions are all over the place so you'll feel positively delightful. (or is it positive ions?)

Long passage ways lined with cherubic fountains.

This little girl is keeping her fish wet - very sweet I guess...

You do begin to have delusions of grandeur after a bit...

These guests are completely ignoring the fountains!?

The grounds are so huge it doesn't seem too crowded. The music is of course Vivaldi.

You have many areas to yourself

Serenity now!

Lovely no?

You are NOT supposed to picnic in the gardens except in designated areas - this was not one of them. But a Corcheval from Maison Guinon must be ok no? Draped crepe over a vanilla concoction with rasberries intermingled.

And the box is sooo pretty. I bought the pastry mostly for the box I must admit... Follow my blog with Bloglovin