A couple of years ago my husband and I went to the Provence area of France on our 25th anniversary. Driving in the Vaucluse area to the village of Ménerbes, made famous by the classic book by Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence, we came upon, in the valley below the village, fields laden with cherry trees ready to be harvested. It was one of those stop the car moments. I got out of the car and strolled among the trees marveling at the millions of tiny red and yellow orbs hovering over my head. While I was composing this painting inspired by that day, I couldn’t help but think of the classic French song Les Temps des Cerises, (The Time of Cherries.) It was written in 1866 just before the French Impressionist movement. Lyrics were added later and it become a revolutionary song for the Paris Commune in 1871. This is the time from March to May a rogue, radical government, laid siege to Paris right after the fall of the French Second Empire. The title of the painting reflects, a wonderful memory of a day in Provence with my husband, a classic French song beloved by many today, and an ironic reference to today’s political environment.
I’m so thrilled that an artists work I greatly admire, Soon Warren, has chosen this painting for this years Kansas Watercolor Society’s National Exhibition at the Mark Arts Center in Wichita Kansas. The show will take place from November 17 - December 17. If you are in the area this show always promises some of the best watercolor paintings in the country.