The Mountain

August 14, 2016

post-the-mountain

The summer after graduating from Sweet Briar College with a BFA in studio art, I journeyed to the south of France to discover Cézanne’s Mountain. I thought if I could see it for myself and walk in the very places where Cézanne had painted, I might understand his vision and I might be shown the way to my own inner poetry. To see the mountain, to climb, to draw, to paint, to become one with it, was like the Zen master who told his pupils, “Spend 10 years observing bamboos, become a bamboo yourself, then forget everything and–paint.” Mount Sainte Victoire called to my inner voice and made itself heard in my being. Seeking to discover the way to create, what to create and how to create has been my journey. Giving birth to the desire to create happened on Lookout Mountain, Alabama, where my soul was nurtured, and led to my pilgrimage to Mount Sainte Victoire. The door has opened to a life of contemplation, silence, being impregnated with nature to the point that my soul’s fullness is bursting to create, to breathe color, form light and dark onto a canvas, giving meaning to a white surface, however humble it may be.

– A reading from my book, Art, Soul & Destiny: An Artist’s Journey from America to Provence

The painting above is a demonstration I did from memory of the Mt. Ste. Victoire during the Cashiers 2016 Plein Air Festival.

Subscribe to Jill's Newsletter and info

Be notified when new posts are out on the blog. Receive invitations to exclusive events and exhibits.

You should receive about 1 or 2 newsletters per month. Your contact details are reserved for internal use and remain strictly confidential.

Related posts to read

Mixing Palettes chez moi

SUMMER WORKSHOP IN PROVENCE

Summer workshops in Provence are back! This was a week of exploring Provence and walking in the footsteps of Cézanne and Van Gogh. We experienced the creative process, learned to mix a harmonious palette of colors and spent lots of time painting plein air. Not to mention the culinary and musical delights shared with new friends.

Read the Post

My Father’s Boots

It was unexpected – I felt my father’s presence as I cleaned off his riding boots and prepared them for a painting session. I had thought about doing this many times before, but had never actually taken the time to do it. A flood of memories and sensations washed over me as I painted his boots. I lived and remembered and loved.

Read the Post
Subscribe to
Jill's Newsletter

Don’t miss out on receiving invitations to exclusive art events and news about paintings, workshops, art videos and other news from France.

We respect your privacy & promise not to clog your inbox or diffuse any personal information!

Jill will get back to you quickly.
Please make sure that you received a confirmation email from us (even your spam folder!)
If you did not receive an email, you may have entered an incorrect email address, in which case, please contact us at artinprovence.info@gmail.com.