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Villa Le Reve – Villa “The Dream”.
Henri Matisse at the villa Le Reve
Hello, everybody! So, I’m back home and a week has gone by, and I feel so lucky to go on these Art Retreats I hold in the villa Le Reve in France. I love going there for so many reasons. Besides the history, it is the feeling and the magic the house gives and the opportunity for a good push into the creative journey, and getting new supporting friends.
The garden is magical, the different flowers every area of gardens nearby is giving and the charming sitting areas are true bliss for sketching and painting. You can pick rosemary, lavender, and wildflowers in the gardens and get inspired by the blossoms, the iris, hundreds of years old olives trees and I love the old palm trees that Matisse once painted over 70 years ago. All depending on the season.
The new reason I want to go back again soon is that that the villa has probably only two years left in this form of “artists in residence” and to host art courses. The next two years are already half booked, and I have not chosen weeks for those years. I want to go back as often as possible while there is still time.
The Villa welcomes creativity and experimentation.
My Norwegian students love the spring and autumn, and some are interested in mid or end of June. I’m thinking maybe a week in June and something in September. What do you think? What weeks would work for you? Let me know and if we can get a group we can rent the villa. I’m a bit sad that we won’t be able to hold courses there after 2021, but maybe the villa will get a refresh. It is old and needs some TLC. It could become a museum, or maybe they will upgrade it as a boutique hotel. Who knows?
I can’t wait to go back.
This villa has such an important place in the history of art. Henri Matisse lived at the villa Le Reve in Vence an inland town on the French Riviera from 1943 to 1948. This is where Matisse produced Yellow and Blue Interior of 1946, Large Red Interior of 1948 and many other important works.
Can you imagine the discussions that Matisse and Picasso PLUS WHO ELSE? Would have had in the garden on a summer evening after a good Mediterranean lunch. It welcomes creativity and experimentation.
When we were there last week, a film crew from the “France Arte” TV channel were filming for one day. The villa gets 3 or 4 film crews each year and Joelle, who manages the villa told us that Micheal Palin, famous for Monty Python and his travel series, was there with a crew recently.
Maybe you know that Henri Matisse always been my favorite artist? I love the use of colors, so I did this painting of him where I am very inspired by his way of painting. You can learn so much by looking at the simple lines or his use of colors.
Here a link to the British museum TATE where you can see a really interesting video of Henri Matisse in the villa.
If you like this and want to know more, I am holding some painting retreats in Vence on the Cote dÀzure in France in September and October and I have an online class about drawing faces.
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Thank you for this great read! It must be a magical place.
Thanks for reading and welcom back ????
I can see why you’re sad Magny such magic time of creativity at Villa Reve I am sure that Matisse was having a smile looking from above at you guys creating art and enjoying his home! 😉 Hopefully they will fix the villa and make a good use of it for artists or a museum cross fingers and let’s hope for the best! 🙂
Thank you for sharing! At least you can bring the spirit of creativity home with you.
Yes, It is so inspiring to be there so I I always come home a little bit more creative
Always a good thing!! Keep it up!!!
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