On our recent honeymoon to Spain and France, my wife and I wanted to bring something home that would remind us of our trip for the rest of our lives.
I have collected a few pieces of artwork from local artists over the years and thought a painting, sculpture or photograph would be a great memento. We started off in Barcelona and made sure to take plenty of pictures, but didn’t find anything that caught our eye.
From Barcelona we flew to the south of France, staying in Cannes. Cannes was one of our favorite stops. We spent our time relaxing on the beach, taking in breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and dining at fine restaurants. It reminded me of the Hamptons on steroids. But nothing caught our eye to take home and everything was extremely expensive.
We drove through the hilltops of historic Provence to get to our next destination, which was a beautiful town in the hills of Provence called Joucas. The hotel and spa, Le Mas des Herbes Blanches, was a spa overlooking a magnificent landscape of the valley below, full of wineries with hills in the background.
Before checking in, I noticed a painting from a local artist displayed in the lobby. It was a beautiful. The artist made great use of colors and there was something in that painting that I was drawn to, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.
The next day we went out and adventured into the different surrounding hilltop towns. As none of the roads had names, at each intersection we just followed the signs pointing in the direction of the town we wanted to go to. The towns and landscapes seemed like movie sets. Towns were literally carved out of and into the hilltops.
Our drive took us to a town named Roussillon where we decided to have lunch before heading to a winery where we had an appointment for a tasting. But we couldn’t resist walking through the narrow streets of this village to explore and discover the town’s hidden jewels.
Walking up to an art gallery, Galerie Porte Heureuse, I noticed a painting in the window that resembled the one in our hotel. We decided to go in and found that several of this artist’s works were on display.
After inquiring, I learned the artist, Andre Deymonaz, was a well-respected and very talented painter. His artwork is exhibited in many countries and five of his paintings have been chosen by the French national postal services for stamps featuring “everyday scenes in Polynesia.”
I was drawn to all of his paintings. Most of his works depict people with blank faces, only leaving small dots for eyes and a nose, giving a touch of mystery to each of his characters.
Deymonaz’s use of colors and beautiful settings makes his art captivating. He depicts scenes from cafe terraces to outdoor markets to the hills of Provence to lagoons in Tahiti.
It was a painting on the far wall in the back of the gallery that Tracey and I found breathtaking. I asked a lot of questions about the piece. I knew that a piece like that would be making a substantial investment.
I am the kind of person that knows what I want when I see it (like my wife), but I also like to take my time and do research when making an investment. All of the works of art by Andre Deymonaz are a treasure.
Because of our appointment at a winery, we were rushed and I didn’t feel comfortable making a quick decision. I knew we would not have enough time to come back to Roussillon, so I took a bunch of literature including the website of the gallery (www.galerie-porteheureuse.com) and figured I would have the rest of our honeymoon to think about it.
For the rest of our trip and after I arrived home, I kept thinking about that painting. It captured the landscape of Provence I never wanted to forget. After a few email exchanges, I bought the painting and had it shipped to my apartment within a couple of weeks.
I look at the painting every day, bringing a smile to my face and the memory of my honeymoon. Perhaps one of Andre Deymonaz’s painting would recreate a memory you have?
