A Fun Finissage

Looking from the kitchen to Mme Lorain's former hairdressing studio. Gael and Isabelle in the background. The works on the easels are needlepoint.

If you live in France and have friends who are artists you will most likely have been invited to a vernissage. That's the French for the opening of an art exhibition.

A hand painted panel on a door.

I had missed the opening of Christophe Lorain's gallery in Preuilly, housed in his parents' former home and studios (hairdressing and artistic). But amusingly, when the exhibition of a textile artist (his wife, Daniele Delatang), a decorative imitation flower maker, a photographer and a painter came to an end they held a 'finissage'. This is a made up word they invented or borrowed for the occasion. Quite a few people came, and sparkling wine and nibbles were served.

 These hanging brushes were intriguing. I don't know what the story behind them is.

Sketches and drawings by Sacha Lorain, Christophe's niece. Note the pragmatic mail box arrangement.

The high gloss photographs, mostly closely cropped images of bits of crushed cars, highlighting the abstract folds and patterns in the metal, looked very effective against the limestone. The photographer is on the left.

Handmade Christmas decorations on a handmade alternative Christmas tree.

Several new galleries in nearby villages have also opened, and Christophe's idea is to work in partnership with them, maybe creating a tourist trail that summer visitors can follow. There are some talented artists working in the area, creating sometimes quite unexpected and engaging pieces from a wide variety of media, so let's hope doing the Sud Touraine Artists Trail becomes a thing.