French la Vie

Photos and Text by Corey Amaro

Living in France opened my eyes to an artful way of living. It has shown me the depth of color in celebrating seasons and layers of textured history, how we apply paint on a canvas daily, and that our actions and feelings are brush strokes.

While at the Musee d'Orsay, the little details are in the corner of the paintings, the scenes within the scene. I noted the reflection of light, the moment's movement caught and held up as an example—reflecting on that which is at hand, the beauty of the small things that are often overlooked.

 

 

 

Living an artful life: To put my habits and attitudes in my back pocket. I want to absorb what is around me, letting it soak over time and recolor my days. I want to spend an entire afternoon at a cafe with a glass of the day unfolding around me and let the sun take its time to move over my head.

 

I spent endless time listening because I didn't speak French when I first arrived in France. However, I realized it wasn't just words I was listening to. Listening for me had more to do with seeing and observing the unconscious language of the body. Most of the time, I understood the conversation, though I could not repeat one word that had been spoken. Isn't it like that when we listen, we hear the heart, which often speaks without uttering a word?

 

A girl by a window. Her dress is like the curtain in front of the window, barely concealing what is inside. Her lips are closed, her regard…what is she thinking? That is how I started to learn French. Instead of asking myself, what are they saying? I began to look at them and wonder what they were thinking or feeling.

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed hands speak without measure? Words can be guarded, but hands and eyes talk about the depth of feeling, the truth.

 

 

 

Often, with nothing being said, the hands and eyes keep speaking.

 

 

                                    

 

         
Another thing I started to pay attention to was how others handled objects and how they used things. Like a dance, their movements spoke of either hurriedness, a quick two-step, and getting the job done. Or they moved with grace, gentleness, and awareness of things around them. Their actions could resemble the tango if they were struggling with contained emotion. Paying attention to how someone moved, set the table, ate their meal, and carried themselves made me more aware of my actions and the message I was giving out.

 

Ah, the importance, yes, the importance of setting the table, writing a note by hand, baking a cake, ironing the shirt, saying thank you, opening the door for another, letting someone go in front of us, not eating the last cookie, the taking out the garbage, not jumping to conclusions, letting someone hog the blankets…

Those little things count, like many other things, speak volumes. They color the world around us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Life imitating art is the reverse of the normal process whereby art is made to resemble life. The concept derives from an Oscar Wilde aphorism, "Life imitates art far more than Art imitates Life."

Layers upon layers, stories within stories, love mixed with odd bits that create an artist to sing and stir another with their words and bring healing. Or paint a picture that puts the experience in place… Daily, we are painting our lives on each other's canvas.

What color are you today?

Note: Photos taken while at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.

 

Repost from 2009

The French la Vie started yesterday. A fabulous group! The best comment was repeated again, "… if today was the only day of time together it is worth the entire week!"

That is music to my ears.