School in France and Students

Hello everyone. Hope all is well with all of you and that you are happy and looking for ways to express yourself in this life. Expressing yourself in some way is one of the greatest ways for you to touch others!!!

I'm dedicating this specific blog to the school, what it is like to study here and the students within. I have interesting things to share with you.

We are halfway through the first module which consists of eight weeks of marbling and wood graining. We have started, this past week, the advanced woods and marbles and let me tell you, this is not for pansies LOL. This is intensive and difficult and I found it even more difficult than anything I've done previously. It is interesting, how you can get wood graining easily when you are exposed to it so much in life. The marbles are much harder to grasp, so much activity and so much variations with the specific marbles studied. Sometimes, having a strong cup of cafe' is the best medicine to make you nervous for the marbles LOL.

Okay, on to the instructor Michel Nadai. Even though my sweet Tom put his link on the website, it in no way relays what his school is about, what is really done here and I'll spend some time relaying this to you so you know on a personal level what this is like.

Michel Nadai is by far the most talented, sympathetic, grounded, intensive, funny, entertaining, discriminating, intuitive, lovingly demanding, compelling, patient, attentive teacher I've ever come across and I've been taught by some of the best America has to offer in the decorative arts.

He becomes your Mother/Father/Sister/Brother as he watches you and nothing escapes his eyes and attention while you are with him in class. His heartbeat truly is YOU and it's about you getting it. There are times that I think I'm getting it and I'm proud of myself and Michel comes by and says "Tammy, I don't like, erase" LOL. On one occasion this week, I was struggling. He stood with me for awhile teaching me how to use a badger brush, because “I'm American and we aren't taught how to properly use one”, I told him to "kiss my butt" LOL. Thank God, Michel knows me and he just laughed at me out loud, got a kick out of it and hugged me twice. The hugs felt good, as you become so intense about wanting to get it as much as Michel wants you to get it. Marina tells him he's in a bad mood when she gets upset over something she's trying to do, only to have him do the same thing to her LOL. Even though I kid him and point to my eyes to motion to him "hey, I'm watching you", the truth is, he's watching us intently. He is engaged in us, invested.

His style, ease of doing things, demonstrations are something that we all are in awe of each time he gives us a visual of what we are trying to create. When he finishes and you see this Master's art, your breath is taken away and you go to your board and when you finish, what you see is nothing close to his. We all have to be reminded by him as well as ourselves, that we are not masters and have not been doing this as long as he. Getting the concepts and learning the techniques and wrapping our minds around the study of it all is what we are getting and everyday corrections and inspiring words from him when we did get it, help get us through this process of learning.

We are much more serious here in France about art as a whole. We wear white lab coats in class and it makes it more formal for us in this regard. I feel more serious about what we are doing because of this, funny how a little white coat makes a difference.

France embraces its artist; after all, out of the five most famous in the world in this area of expertise, three of them are from France!! When the City of Agen found out about Michel Nadai looking for another studio to move from the village where he was, they were only too happy to accommodate him and his school, knowing this would bring international recognition to them as a City. This is a great place for his studio and school and offers a lot to the students. Much more than what I understand the previous village did. I'm thankful to be here in Agen.

We are moving into a new studio Agen is finishing for us and will have an Open House and have some local newspaper coverage, because of the fact that Michel earned the most prestigious award known in Europe, "Best Craftsman of France". This award is strenuously achieved by the highest standards and the competition is only given every four years and many years, this is not given for this specific category because they cannot find anyone worthy to earn the title. This is much like the Olympics to Americans. The best of the best only compete and the things I've heard about applicants and how the judges threw them out of the competition because a tiny screw in a custom and hand made boat wasn't facing the right direction, is unbelievable. I've seen a portion of the panel he did for his competition and I just stared at it for awhile. It is magnificent!!!

Needless to say, anyone who dares to take this course comes out a much better person having known Michel and his wife, Kyoko and is a much better artisan. How he embraces you and cares about you as a person, with the standards of excellence required, is a great balance of the best you could hope for.

Michel is witty and yet, he expects you to pay attention, to do it the correct way, not to try to make this any simpler, use the “Master's techniques” and loves you all along the way. I don't know if I can truly relay the intent and purposes of his heart in this blog, but I'm trying. Kyoko is by your side, encouraging you and trying in English to relay everything he's teaching, as well as emotionally holding your hand, knowing there were many struggling artists before you and will be many after you.

To take this on, from his perspective, as well as mine, is a very intense way of changing your life. He wants you to walk away with what he calls an equivalent of seven years apprenticeship with a Master, which is the French way of doing things. In America, we are truly a microwave society in so many ways and our schools offer two day, three day and five day classes for artists to learn these techniques. The four weeks I took in Atlanta, GA are pale in comparison to what is given here and I'm still thankful for that time with him there and that that school was so innovative in realizing the talent and benefits to us locals who could take his classes.

Kyoko, his wife is one of the sweetest, kindest hearted, good people, you've ever met. She's beautiful to look at, her voice is kind to the ears and she is so intelligent that she is translating simultaneously while Michel is teaching. Sometimes, as Michel is studying English and speaks it, she translates the English back to the French students without giving it a thought and we all laugh. She is just as much engaged in this process as he is and I cannot imagine her not being here. She cares about you getting it as much as Michel and in translating will add just a few things here and there and even ask if Marina and I understand what Michel is saying. I've seen this woman go from French, to English to Japanese (when a visiting Japanese prospective student came to visit) within moments and with such ease, that it's like watching a beautiful song being composed before your eyes. Needless to say, class would not be the same without her and her addition to this, with heart and skills, is paramount to the success of this school.

Okay, onto the students.

Patrick is a big teddy bear. He's precious and is always looking for ways to accommodate and help us and is a very giving person. He is very tall, over 6' and is always opening window shades we cannot reach without ladders and turning our panels around for us, as they are huge and helping us. He lives during the week, at a literal castle where King Charles the VII, visited and rented a space during his reign. He is living in a tower overlooking a beautiful landscape. I'll have to get him to take my camera home with him one day and let him take pics for us all.

He says the owner of the castle is over 85 years old and all of the furnishings are older than she is. That she is kind, but leaves him alone because she cannot climb the rounding staircase he does to get to his space in the top of the tower LOL. He says he couldn't even find her, the castle is so large if he wanted to. The name of the castle is Chateau Dauge.

Patrick, like I said is a sweetheart of a guy, is retired, worked in the wax business for years with his family and is taking it easy, enjoying his life and taking this course. He has applied for and been accepted into the next process of acquiring a space in the famous Place du Fertie "Montmartre". (If I misspell or find out some of this is incorrect, I'll correct for you). This place is where the artists are in a special space reserved for them to paint and sell their paintings. There are over three hundred artists who have qualified for this space, which is difficult to obtain. They allow 150 a weekend and alternate weekends. It's famous for people to visit and a painting typically will sell easily there. Patrick will go to Paris when this comes through and spend a weekend and then during the two weeks prior, be painting, so he will have paintings to sell to the public. This process is grueling and takes almost four years to complete. Patrick is honored to get approval to get through the first process and is now being asked to produce more documents to further his entrance. I asked him if he has to wait on someone to die to get a space to have the French roar with laughter. He said sometimes that happens, but sometimes they move or decide not to participate anymore. Some of the artists have been there for more than 30 years. It sounds like a great place to meet people and to get exposure as well.

He brought raw oysters to class this past Monday, six dozen for seven of us. He lives on the east coast of France on the ocean and is probably lying in his hammock reading a book this weekend, weather permitting. The oysters were fresh from the sea that morning and were as large as my hand. I have never eaten raw oysters and let me explain, they were raw LOL. When told how to eat them, you either put lemon juice on, or a personal marinade recipe, Michel made consisting of vinegar, shallots and other ingredients. They told me just to swallow them whole. When I did, I, they laughed and asked me what I thought and were raving about how great these were. Marina doesn't like raw oysters and said they were great as well. When I told them I didn't understand the point of having them, that you just swallow them and don't taste anything but the vinegar marinade or the lemon juice, they laughed. Seems I'm entertaining them frequently LOL. They then told me to chew them a little.

I'm eating some of the most unusual things here in France that I've not eaten, but this experience of being open and tasting their food and experiencing their culture is as much a part of this, as the art. So, my mindset is "experience and taste".

On Monday, during the oyster feast, Michel told the class he wants to start a school with me in America and us be the teachers. Patrick, thus, told me on Thursday evening that he wanted to invest in this school and would give me money to help start it. I was elated and shocked at his generosity. He has been hiding his English from us until this past week where he spoke more and more to us. He says he hasn't spoken it for years and it is coming back to him and thus, he's using it more.

He has again invited us to go to his home on the shore and we will definitely be doing this sometime soon. I'm looking forward to this and being with him and his wife and possibly meeting his two daughters who are fluent in English. What a treat!!!!

Brigitte is a red headed spunky fireball and has a childlike, fun spirit. She's the one who is interested in the hugs and has a contagious smile. She walks into class and seems so excited to get a hug and say "Good morning" as only she can. She's a sweetheart who has wanted to be in this school for about seven years, from what I understand. Her husband is a policeman and rides a motorcycle. I understand the motorcycle cops are some of the strongest men in France, as they have to be. She says her husband keeps his stories of his days to himself, and is very discreet. One of her friends relayed a story to her not too long ago about seeing her husband chase down a man and tackle him to arrest him LOL. It's probably best Brigitte doesn't know these things during the day.

She's vivacious and very caring. Is only about 5' tall and is precious. She laughs a lot and is enjoying the process like the rest of us and is thankful to be here.

Marie is a lot more subdued than the rest of us LOL. She's also known as the neatest of all of us and the cleanest and most organized. Her area is immaculate and she is one of the most efficient people I've watched. She's only about 5' tall as well and is kind hearted as well. She speaks the least amount of English, but you can see on her face, she is trying to get it and understand and communicate. She did find a place to live, other than her car during the week and seems to be content no matter where she is or what she's doing.

Marina, you already know some about. I'll tell you something very intriguing. She was given a scholarship by the Queen of England to come to this school. She applied this past May and was accepted through a process of applications and interviews. She had to appear before a board and show her work and what she is capable of. She is a very studious person and has attended quite a few schools herself. She's one of the most fascinating people in the class to me because of her attitude about life, about traveling and going places. She was born and raised in Wales. She says when the Prince of Wales learns to speak their language, they will accept him as being Welsh. She said even Princess Di addressed them in a sentence or two in Welsh when she came to visit.

When she is finished with this course, she is already invited to a luncheon to allow others to see her accomplishments. It seems that they give this scholarship to eight different people only two times a year. A luncheon provides them all with congrats next June. She doesn't know if the Queen will attend, but is excited even so.

In the first whole week while there, the three French and Marina and I were outside without our interpreter, Koyoko. Someone mentioned us all reciting our own alphabet and we all did in our own language. Marina did Welsh and I have to tell you, it's broken sounds, not like letters or even words but sounds. When she finished, I started mocking her by pretending I was gagging and it was a good imitation. The whole group laughed and I've asked her to repeat this a few times for me LOL. We all get a kick out of it.

She has lived in America as a nanny, Canada, Belize as a bartender, Australia and other places. She started traveling in her 20's and is about to turn 40 this next month.

Amazing group of people and we are all thankful to get to know each other. You cannot spend this much time with each other and not get to know each other. It's a special club, when you are all in this together and adding these people to my life, makes me even richer.

I brought some chocolates Susan sent me with to the class this past week to let them taste American chocolate. I had heard them talking about how America doesn’t do chocolate well. When they ate the extreme dark chocolate, they were bragging about how good it was LOL. GO SUSAN!!!!

The one resounding thing we have spoken about is that this is the best teaching we've all ever received. The most intensive and difficult, and yet, most rewarding. I told them I was told the same thing by American students when we were completing the four week study.

I hope you are enjoying partaking of this experience with me and want you to know that I think of all of you!!! I'm thankful to say I'm coming home for Christmas and will be there almost two weeks. When I return to France on January 3rd, I will only be here for six more weeks. I'm thankful I'll be with my man and family and friends and want to hug them and hold them all for awhile.

When I write you again, it will be to tell you more of the French and their ways. I’m taking notes so I can remember all the things to tell you.

I’m going to a Cathedral where Marina and I found silver leaf grain and am going to sit on the floor taking pics and practicing drawing this wood graining. Michel says it’s the most difficult and I have to practice before class on Monday as we will be working with it again. Have a good weekend and know you are loved!!!!!

Tammy