Inside and Out

Today I prepared for my open atelier next week and then made my way into the evening solo.
There was an interesting curated exhibition at the Swiss Cultural Centre where the courtyard bar was a mob scene and the galleries were pleasantly empty. I actually ran into a number of Swiss artists (Christine) and Emika, of course, who is everywhere.... and could see the show.
It was very fresh and fun... vibrant work to think about.

I left the Marais and walked more than half way to Montparnasse where I had dinner with friends in the 14th ar. Jo is one of my oldest and most inspiring friends... a great chef and successful painter. I stayed way past the magic hour when the metro stops and was lucky a Maltese friend stopped by with a car. She dropped me off at Les Halles so I still got in a beautiful walk on the way home.

One of the things I've noticed on these late weekend walks is a new freedom... or bohemian presence in the heart of Paris. There were bongos in the distance and I looked across the Seine and could see a bonfire at the point of the small island separating the right bank fromt the Isle de la Cite. It was shocking... seeing a fire on the cobblestones of this ancient island... and a complete lack of disregard from the authorities. I have conflicted feelings about this. Hey, its great to see kids playing music in the heart of the city at 2:00am but fire is another matter.