This time last summer I was already in the middle of my first workshop as an assistant at La Bonne Etoile. Fresh out of college and a first-timer at overseas travel, I remember how heavy my pack was when I arrived at Charles de Gaulle. It was full of fancy clothes, shoes, and junk from my daily life that I was convinced I would not be able to live without. However all of these things became so meaningless the second I arrived at La Bonne Etoile and began to realize what I was really there to do. I wasn’t there to be looked at or to spend time with my things. I was there to learn, paint, create, laugh, taste, smell, feel, and soak up every second of the experience that would be over before I knew it. Two weeks whizzed by me in a haze of turpentine and chocolate mousse. It was marvelous.
This time my pack is lighter. No need for a second small carry-on. No fancy clothes I won’t wear. Only clothes that are suitable for plein air painting in lush fields and impromptu bike rides through the French countryside. Only the necessary toiletries because the light on a candlelit terrace during dinner is very forgiving- no make up required. Paint brushes to be dipped in thick oil paints. Shoes to take me in search of the perfect vista. A journal so I can write down and remember everything. Only the essentials so I can spend my second summer at La Bonne Etoile fully immersed in the experience. Stay tuned.
