Open Studios at Can Serrat June 2014

Our show was last night! Today we have just packed, relaxed and had our last dinner together. Sundays are Karine's day off so we went to a restaurant in town...they open at 8:30pm. Grocery store closes from 1:30-5:00. The post office is only open from 10-11am M-F. Anyway, little siesta facts to get used to here...even the pool cleared out from 2-4 and we had it to ourselves! The writers read first and then we opened our studios. 

Andrew

Helen

Vikram

Gemma

Her poem was also read in Knoxville TN!

Ariel art

Geoff art 

Paige art

Amanda's photos printed on canvas

Can Serrat artists of June 2014

Adios Can Serrat amigos!! You all have inspired us & made this trip the best. 

Our first thunderstorm!

Geoff, Roya from Iran,  & Ariel from France studio. 

Our balcony

Week 4

Karine shared that the snail book and visit made the city paper. So love this experience and will investigate the Monserrat mountain stones for the next book~should take the snail more than seven days to explore! 

http://www.bruc.cat/altres/actualitat/noticies/visita-de-l%E2%80%99escriptora-i-il%E2%80%A2lustradora-paige-p.-byrne-a-l%E2%80%99escola-bressol.html

We can walk for 5 or 10 minutes and easily be right on a trail to the base of Monserrat. The face and view changes, but is always fascinating. Two of the group have hiked to base 3 hrs. I've gone an hour, but turned around...by myself & it's usually 4:30. On the way this time I built a nest, while Geoff set up his studio. We plan to go farther together before we leave. 

Karine and her boyfriend Harry are the chefs every night but Sunday. I thought it was each of us taking turns, but they don't mind if we want to volunteer! Gemma made an amazing chicken dish with sriracha sauce and honey. Roya from Iran shared her plum chicken and tonight Geoff and I made a southern dinner with fried chicken, green beans, Mac & cheese, cole slaw and biscuits~so fun and well received!

El Bruc pool is open! Each of these rock forms have a name~little chair, parrot...we will miss this town, 

our residency friends and the experience. Would totally do again somewhere and here!

Sitges snail book delivered!

Today was so fun at the little school in El Bruc! 

The principal led us to the outdoor play area and all the little kiddos gathered on the terrace. Karine translated my hello & are you ready for summer, then their teacher read it to them in Catalan with great animation. They were so excited to touch the un cargol with glitter! 

Open studio June 28

On June 28th, Can Serrat will open the doors for the El Bruc community! I'll share pics of the cafe/music room and studios. Here is the flyer and I think Geoff is super excited to post them around town on the four wheeler! More pics and art to do ahead!!

Little book for the school

School is almost out in El Bruc and I figured out what I could contribute to the community. My visit to Sitges has been in my mind since we left. I have been thinking of how beautiful places, things, music and activity bring us together. Our friend Helen, a poet from Australia has also inspired me with her work. Her experience here and observation of nature is reflected in her poetry. 

So, I've written and illustrated a little book Seven Days of a Snail by the Sea in Sitges Spain and will donate this to the school.  Karine and Mertxe who speak and write Catalan will help me translate. 

Cover

Day one make a friend

Day Two go for a boat ride

Day three

Order a tuna salad and Fanta

Day four Sit under the shade on a cloth from India

Day five Watch a man build a sculpture of a turtle with sand

Day six Go for a swim by the shore

Day seven Visit the church of St. Barthlomew and St. Tecla

Friday nights

Friday nights after dinner at 8:15, we set up a time for visual artists to share art & the writers to share poems and prose. 

The writers are as diverse as the artists, so it has been fun to hear the variations of content. Helen focuses on nature "mosquito and the drummer boy". Gemma shares moments from "Skin Game" a love triangle and Vikram shares his own triumphs from loss and now researches history 1940's to develope his characters. 

The 2 other artists along with Geoff and I prefer to share when there work is complete. This week we shared our inspirations from Sitges:

Geoff

Paige

Sitges...a beautiful beach by Barcelona

This church is perched right by the sea.

The water is cool and sand is hot! The beach chairs were just 5€ per day. The town of Sitges is adorable. I decided to get my hair cut and pedicure. Something I planned to do before graduation, but ran out of time. The guy who cut my hair said his best friend from DC is coming to Sitges in August to get married. We will have to go back and spend more time. I came home so inspired and did a charcoal from the shadows of this window

And then this collage of the church with my train ticket.

Art week 2ish

Geoff 

Paige

Parc Guell

Today we took the bus to see Parc Guell designed by Gaudi. We imagined a green  park with lots of Gaudi sculptures peeking out, but we discovered it was a park full of steep trails and stairs with beautiful views. 

Barcelona and ocean in view.

This guy cuts out silhouettes of passerby's totally free hand and about palm size for only 4€!

There was enough time to head back to town, so we headed down...

And found the Casa Ballto...apt bldg designed by the grand Gaudi!

Here are the Barcelona bikes!