Mark's exhibition at the Old School, Whittlesford, just outside Cambridge, is only a few days away so he is working all hours in his studio to finish off the ceramics and paintings for the show. I'm sure that lots of you reading this have already heard about it via Mark's blog at
www.markjudsonart.blogspot.com but for those of you who are either reading from afar, visiting this blog for the first time or maybe have forgotten (!) ..... he is exhibiting a selection of his abstract acrylics and some ceramic pieces alongside watercolours by Vandy Massey and hand-made wooden boxes by Denise Shearing. The exhibition is only on for a couple of days, Sat 9th and Sun 10th March, from 10am - 5pm, so if you are in the Cambridge/Whittlesford area please do come along. Full details are at
www.markjudsonart.blogspot.com and we will post more photos afterwards.
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| Mark uses different materials to create texture |
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| Work in progress, based on rock formations |
In the meantime here at St Pierre de Maille, the annual early spring event called "Fete des Laboureurers" took place on Sat 3rd March. Its a celebration of the end of the winter and the first time that everybody gets together after the short winter days. We have been several times over the years and as we all know the weather at the beginning of March is totally unpredictable. We have experienced torrential rain, snow, really warm sun - and this year dismal freezing cold that made everybody hurry along to the Salle des Fetes rather more quickly than usual.
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| Showing how truffles grow under oak trees |
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| The batterie de fanfare and two very patient cart horses |
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| Rose all round |
The day starts with a Mass, followed by a procession of tractors accompanied by the local Batterie de Fanfare. They all proceed round the village, stop at the Maison de Retraite, salute the war memorial and then back to Gorrie's cafe where an aperitif is offered to everyone in the village. Then off we trot to lunch, which takes hours and incorporates an extremely lengthly tombola draw and some traditional French songs. By the time we get home (a pied) the day is almost gone! Those with more stamina are invited to a free Ball, which continues until past midnight, but we are far too lightweight for that these days.
One of the first signs of spring every year is the arrival of the cranes, or grue as they are called in French. We are on the edge of the Brenne National Park - a huge area of lakes and flatlands where birds and wildlife are protected. Its a great place for bird watching. The cranes stop for a few days en route from their winter habitat in Spain, to Scandinavia, where they spend the summer. Flying in flocks of up to a hundred or so, the noise is the first thing we notice, way before the birds come into sight. As they fly over it is tremendous, especially as there are often up to a dozen flocks that pass overhead in the course of two or three days.
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| The Gite and back of the Farmhouse on a cold and frosty morning |
