Uncorked: My year in Provence studying Pétanque, discovering Chagall, drinking Pastis, and mangling French by Paul Shore.

This is a self published book I noticed at Hagar Books and of course had to have it. Paul Shore spent a year living in St Paul de Vence. It was really very well done although he never did seem to visit or even mention the wonderful chapel that Matisse was responsible for. He did mention Chagall quite a bit and Chagall did live there for a number of years. He does capture the experience of being a foreigner in France quite well.

Photos of the Matisse chapel:

And then my painting of it. My "artistic licence" makes it much better, don't you think? I wanted to emphasize the wonderful windows that show up well inside but not so much outside. And since there is yellow in the windows, I just had to put a yellow Mimosa tree in front and then had to add an umbrella pine and other stuff that I love from the south of France like the Mediterranean in the background and those pyramid pines. Since the window is called "The Tree of life", more trees seemed appropriate. This painting is placed close to my painting of Notre Dame which will always be my favourite building in the world but this wonderful little jem is a close second.

Inside where you can see "The Tree of Life" stained glass windows better.

Notre Dame...mon amour.