Today we arrived at PA-F (Performing Arts Forum), the artist residence in St Erme, France. Even though we’ll be here only a few days, the environment is very inspiring and we’ll get a lot of work done. After selecting our bedrooms and a run to the grocery store, Dymph and I went through the building to find a room for us to work in. PA-F is housed in an old boarding school, until 1965 run by catholic nuns, for rich girls and the village kids. There are a chapel, with beautiful stained glass windows, used as performance space, the kitchens, library rooms, and various other rooms to work in with couches, chairs and tables. On the 2 upper floors are the bedrooms for residents and more large spaces, such as a media room, “ballet”room with a vinyl floor, music room. All the floors are wooden board and creak accordingly. There is a large court yard, orchard with apple, pear and nut trees, chicken coop and 2 beautiful peacocks. In the basement are the “ball room” and the disco where “cave raves” are organised. Last summer I spent a few weeks at PA-F.
After a late lunch, 4 pm, we selected a large room with lots of windows - tomorrow we’ll see it is really light, as it is already dusk - opening to the court yard, set out our supplies and went to work. Soon we were startled by a screeching, piercing sound, which turned out to be the peacock that roosts next to our window. Apparently he wasn’t happy to be disturbed. The room has a calming, almost mind-expanding effect. The walls are bare except for the circle of peacock feathers (hence the name “peacock room), so there’s nothing to distract us; we only have the supplies that we’ve brought, so no wasting time thinking about what to use…heaven!!! [this is my concentrated look ;-)] Dymph is experimenting with washes of inks she made herself, I’m experimenting with ways to work on the first layer of the large wall installation in the exhibition space in Atelier H-ART.
At 9 pm we enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by Dymph’s sister (who is working on her own project, as is my husband) and met a few of the other residents. Beautiful night!