Travel to the Chateau
On Thursday, July 18th, Sydney and I flew from Madison to Paris, with a layover in Newark. We made it out just in time before the global ground stop from a technical glitch (phew!). From Newark to Paris (Orly Airport) we flew on a French airline called La Compagnie. It’s a smaller airline but it’s all business class with a seat that turns into a bed and lovely French-inspired meals, and of course, champagne! They also have lounges in Newark and Paris that you can visit prior to departure – free food and open bar. I highly recommend this airline because it's an affordable luxury. When we arrived in Paris on Friday, July 19th, it was a struggle to get directions on where to find the rental cars. There weren’t a lot of folks that spoke English and my French is marginal. We rented a Kia Sportage from Enterprise – high marks for both! Off we went to the Chateau! It was about 3.5 hours and not a bad drive once we made it out of Paris. Once we arrived at the Chateau, it was as beautiful as we imagined. We met Beulah the Art Director and she had Remy take us to Jojo’s House in the village where we’d be staying.
People We Met
From the moment we arrived at the Chateau, we fell in love with all of the staff and fellow artists. Thanks to the amazing staff: Ziggy, Beulah, Lorine, Lawrence, Marie, Remy, Christine, Coco, and Nicole.
Something I will always miss is walking into the Chateau and being greeted with smiles, laughter, hugs, and eventually tears, when we knew our two weeks together would end.
Here is a list of artists that you should follow – trust me! Each of them has their own voice and stunning art whether it’s painting, drawing, multimedia, graphic design, poetry, prose, and thought-provoking essays, it’s all worth looking into. I’ve included their Instagram handles below so you can experience the magic Sydney and I did getting to know these talented, dear artists.
Viola – @piecebypiece_prints
Sondra – @sondrawriter
Sabriaya – @ubuntusab
Louis – @saintlui_art
Aespyne – @alix_theartist
Lorenzo - @lorenzocardim
Drica – @dricaloboart and @lobo_fineart
Jessy - @arrowleafcreative
Courtney - @cboudreaupoetry
Maria – @maria.rasheed_
Millen - @umohartescape
Mark - @markstrodl
Erica – @522eddie
Julia (and husband Professor Victor) – @julia_bright_art
Kenna - @foxwillowart
Lisa - @lisamooreart
Liz - @lizvidulichwrites
Makayla – @sketch_thecat
Jeff - @chgoart
Salwa - @salwawoodroffe
Malachai – subscribe to their newsletter: malachilily.substack.com
Here is one of the poems I wrote early on during the residency for our group:
ORQUEVAUX
Painters capture the light,
writers describe a scene,
but it’ll never touch
the collective magic
born in two weeks
with strangers,
bonded for life.
Art We Created
On Day 1, Sydney and I were driving into town to get some light groceries and we spotted a large oak tree next to the road. We both decided we loved the tree and eventually took pictures of it and selfies. When we returned, it was a muse for her and I to paint and write respectively. I ended up writing 10 poems and editing some of my existing poetry.
Syd created her first acrylic painting on a tall canvas and I wrote a poem. I think it was a relief to both of us that we could do what we came there to do and we were off to the races. She painted 3 canvases of landscapes, a still-life painting on canvas, 2 pickleball paddles on both sides and 12 circular watercolor and pen vignettes. The 3 canvases are each great in their own right, but together form a picture and feeling of the Chateau. Dusty, the tabby cat who ran the place, was featured in one.
The pickleball paddles are stunning as they are painted so that when the sides touch, flowers are displayed. And she painted different flowers on both sides. I’m curious if there is a market out there for this sort of thing! The vignettes are on circles of watercolor paper and each is delicate and divine! Two of them are now located in the permanent collection at the gallery in Orquevaux. Magnifique!
In addition to our own art, we were able to do some collaborations with a couple of artists. The first was Viola who shared our studio. Viola is a printer and an absolutely wonderful person that came from Germany.
She not only created beautiful prints, but also played the ukulele and sang beautifully. We were so blessed to have her as a studio companion. She printed some “O’s” for me early on and one of them I added my short poem to. The other became a platform for Millen to add our pictures to and leave for everyone that visits to see. We’ve left our mark! Sabriaya is a woman who, when you meet, exudes light and love. She’s a multimedia artist, teacher, singer, writer and so much more. She created a place in her studio that had a little bit of everyone represented. She also took beautiful pictures of Syd that I’m so grateful for.
Highlights
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we had three buffet meals a day provided for us that were out of this world! The chefs Christine, Lorine and Marie were so delightful and while we had to work out language barriers at times, they exude love and we felt it in their cooking. They always had a smile and a bonjour. We ate like royalty. Croissants for breakfast with homemade jelly, amazing cheeses and sometimes a quiche. Lunch was a full buffet that included salads, bread with butter, and sometimes leftovers from the night before.
Dinner was a complete and over-the-top amazing meal that I wished wouldn’t end. The desserts. The DESSERTS! My favorite was an apricot pastry/pie.
Everything was created with special care and I took the opportunity to say merci as often as I could. We also had 24/7 access to an espresso/latte/coffee machine that I took full advantage of. At night, Syd and I shared a bottle of wine, most often Rosé as it was warm and there wasn’t A/C so it was refreshing. (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it 😊)
One chef, Lorine, we had a lot of interaction with. I found out that one of the drivers, Lawrence, that took us to the nearby town of Chaumont, was her husband and I quickly became obsessed with finding out their love story. I waited a couple of days, but then Beuhlah told me a story about Lorine coming to the gates of Orquevaux as a child hoping someday she could work there. It was what I needed to write a poem about Lorine called “Notre Beau Chef” (Our Beautiful Chef).
The studio where Syd and I hung our hats for two weeks was absolutely beautiful and my desk was by one of the windows. Each day I would set up shop on their desk and open the tall windows looking out on a path. I recorded birds I heard, watched artists traverse the path and even enjoyed watching the rain. I also had access to a guitar and was able to play and sing a bit. I heard Brandi Carlile sing, “Long, Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt and I decided to try it. Such a beautiful song. I was lucky enough to sing “His Eye is on the Sparrow” at a church in the village.
It’s a gorgeous place with a lovely path nearby. I also sang and played guitar at Friday music night. We danced at the stables, had a couple of karaoke nights and were able to listen to other artists play and sing music – this is a talented group!
We visited Chaumont a couple of times to get art supplies and yummy chocolate. It was about a half hour from the Chateau and I’ll never forget what it was like to drive in France (same side of the road as the US). The countryside is quiet and beautiful with lovely people.
We had a dress-up night with various costumes from the closet at the Chateau. I’m a bit reserved as far as costumes go, but Syd looked stunning and everyone really played the part.
The pictures of that night are something you only dream of being a part of.
Louis and Aespyne, a newlywed couple from Chicago, wanted to renew their vows in this special place. Makayla, the flower girl, was followed by Malachi as the best person who took Aespyne down the grassy aisle by the waterfall to Louis and Sabriaya who presided over the festivities. We were seated in Adirondack chairs listening to music provided by Lorenzo, our resident DJ. I don’t think there was a dry eye at the ceremony. It’s one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever attended.
That same day, we found out that Drica’s father Guiseppe had passed away in Brazil (her home country). We held a memorial service at the stables that night. Courtney read a poem she wrote for the occasion and others had beautiful things to say. It was so touching.
The two weeks passed quickly, but I wouldn’t change a thing (unless I can add air conditioning 😊). While I wrote in my journal every day, the last couple of days were a bit of a blur. We each had a chance to talk about our art and then had visits from the artists that left comments. We visited the gallery where many artists donated pieces and toasted with champagne (as you do) to our success. We packed up our studios, laughed, hugged a lot, and said tearful goodbyes, promising to keep in touch and have a reunion sooner rather than later. We are connected on our Instagram group chat and I’m grateful for that as it reminds me it wasn’t just a dream.
Travel Home
On Thursday, August 1st, we said our final goodbyes and headed to Paris. Just before we left, Sydney had found a path next to the old church in town and we walked for a while. It was a beautiful way to end our ethereal trip.
We checked into the Hilton Garden Inn near the Orly Airport. While I would have loved to visit Paris properly, we just didn’t have it in us to navigate the city and with the added Olympics crowds, we just decided we’ll have to do that another time. We left the hotel the next morning and took a taxi to the airport. It took off without problems and was a very nice flight. I figured out how to rest better so I could get some sleep. When the wheels touched down in Newark at 10:30 a.m., we received a text that our United flight from Newark to Madison had been canceled and we could fly the next day but needed to rebook. Not good. We retrieved our luggage and went through customs and then tried to visit other airlines to see if they had any availability. We electronically booked a flight on American from Newark to Dallas to Madison, but immediately upon booking, the Madison leg was canceled. There was a ground stop in New York due to weather. We ended up scanning a QR code on a kiosk that led us to a video chat with Lori who worked for United out of California and after a bunch of tries, found us a flight from LaGuardia to O’Hare (Chicago) at 7 p.m. that night. We took it and Syd booked us an Uber that would take us to LaGuardia an hour and a half away. Once we got through security and arrived at our gate, I noticed the United lounge nearby, so we went there and they let us in as I’d purchased passes at Newark and I probably looked worse for wear. We were able to hang out until 8:30 p.m. when they closed. Our flight didn’t end up leaving until around midnight and we arrived in Chicago at 2 a.m. I’d used a car service out of Milwaukee before – AAA Airport Express and Taxi (phone: 262-786-4444) – so I called them earlier in the day to see if they could meet us in Chicago and take us home. I didn’t think we’d have many options and given that we landed at 2 a.m., I was right. George, the owner, met us and took us to our respective homes. He was one of many angels that day that helped us get home. I got home at about 4 a.m. and had to take Austin to the airport at 6 a.m. for his flight to Denver to meet up with my parents. The house smelled like teen spirit, but he kept himself and the dogs alive so that was all that mattered.
What Now?
Now that I’ve burned back into the atmosphere of my normal life, I am confident that I can finish my third book. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t have enough material, but a trip to picturesque France did the trick! My goal is to complete it by the end of the year. Special thanks to my editor Simon Van Booy (@simonvanbooy) who sent me the link to the residency at the Chateau and also manages to provide advice to me that I can digest and use to improve my poems.
I’m also working on a non-fiction book and more music! I met up with Jenny and we had a very successful jam session. We even worked out some music for a poem-turned-song that I thought might be cool as a reggae song. Stay tuned! I also traded in one of my guitars for an electric guitar that would work well to take to jam sessions or gigs. Dave’s Guitars in Sun Prairie is worth a visit. They are very knowledgeable and patient.
I hope if we get together, you will sit with me and look at the pictures from France so I can tell you more about our adventures. I’m planning another adventure as we speak!
Let’s chat soon.
With affection,
Carrie VS
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