#25: My Work in France, Exhibits at My Studio and the Alliance Francaise

"Church at Bazenville"

"Place Louis XIV at Thoan"

"Route de Creully in Tierceville"

"Chapel at Amblie"

"Bridge in Amblie"

"L'Aquilan in Luc-sur-Mer"

This is going to be a special edition of my blog - for the first time, a bilingual edition.

And for me, there is some very good news: This coming weekend (October 3rd and 4th - the Saturday and Sunday from noon to6 pm) is POST (Philadelphia Open Studio Tours) at my studio (#407, 915 Spring Garden St., near 9th St. at Percy St., Philadelphia, PA 19123), and you will be able to look at my work and exchange ideas with me.

And then, beginning Nov. 13, the Alliance Francaise in Philadelphia (1420 Walnut St., Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19102) will begin showing my work for one month. On Nov. 13, beginning at 6 pm, you can join me at the Alliance Francaise for wine and cheese and conversation about painting.

Because of the three months I spent in France, and because of the number of French artists and other people who helped me and became important to me, I'm going to write a section of this blog in French.

Now, I'll talk about my work in Normandy this past summer. During the last month I was there, in the region around St. Aubin-sur-Mer, I was alone and I have to say I worked very hard. I got up early in the morning, pulled together my equipment and paints, etc., and hit the country roads in the area that I've gotten to know so well. I painted most of the day, except when it got too hot and my paint melted. Once home in the evening, I made some minor revisions to some of my works, and then I wrote my ideas about what I did in my journal.

What have I accomplished? Well, part of the answer can come from you. But I believe that my landscapes in Normandy at becoming more free and more nuanced. While I was painting, I believe I took more time, gave my work more thought while I worked, and tried to express more forcefully the feelings I got from the scenes. It's strange to say this, because I've been painting in Normandy for a long time, but when you look at "The Church at Bazenville," I think that the forcefulness of the church and the emotion of the cemetary come through with more feeling than I was able to achieve before. Yes, when I paint, it feels as though my hand moves on its own, as though it had a mind of its own. But maybe my hand was more in touch with my heart, and maybe my hand felt more freedom.

One thing is interesting. Many artists tell me that they'd rather not be disturbed while they paint, and this is true with me to some extent. But meeting and talking with the people in the villages in Normandy, I believe, can also give richness to my work. Just a few examples: In Bazenville, I talked with the mayor, a few couples and a farmer who was working neaby while I painted. In Tierceville, I met a charming little family, and a cute 4-year-old blonde girl made a point of showing me her artwork. In so many ways, I believe I can tell more of a story if I'm really in contact with the people.

I'm including a sketch in my blog for the first time. In fact, I often do a sketch before painting, to give me an idea how the painting will look on the canvas before I commit myself with paint. Now, in some cases, I gave people who were interested photocopies of my sketches. And in the case of the sketch of L'Aquilon, I gave the original to a wonderful elderly woman who used to live there. She told me that the sketch reminded her of so many good memories, that she talked over with her children.

Please remember: You can zoom in and double the size of the photos if you just click on them.

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Mes chers amis:

Voici quelques tableaux que j'ai realises en France Cet ete. D'abord une note de remerciement. Beaucoup parmi vous m'avez aide, et j'aprecie votre aide beaucoup.

Je pense que, pendant le temps que j'ai passe en Normandie cet ete, j'ai acheve plus de liberte en peinture. A vous de juger. J'ai toujours travaille tres vite, mais cette fois j'ai essayer de reflechir plus en travaillant. D'habitude, ma main est tres independante, mais de plus en plus j'essaye de la guider plus sans controler trop.

Donnez-moi vos idees.

Merci encore.

William Kosman