Pebble art & a new friend!

To call Jean Cocteau an artist is an understatement. He was a surrealist artist, sculptor, ceramist, film maker writer & poet... a true bon vivant if there ever was.

You can even catch glimpses of his films, such as Le Sang d'un poete (1930), La Belle et la Bete, and Orphee on you tube.

Cocteau, although born outside of Paris, lived a great deal in the village of Menton. The Napoleonic era fortress of the town now serves as a gallery dedicated exclusively to his work. Even more exciting, there is a modern building being built here to house an exhibit a greater selection of his work. There doesn't seem to be a web-site dedicated to this new museum, but the information posted is that it should be complete in 2011.

The word is that he lived in Menton as it was just a quick hop-skip & a jump to Villefranche-sur-mer, which was where the navy was stationed during the war years(!).

ANYWAY, the museum was begun during his lifetime, and it is actually adorned on the outside with several depictions in the "pebble art" that I was telling you about in an earlier post. When you stop to think that all the pebbles have to be sorted by size and colour before you start working, it becomes a giant project. These pebbles aren't set into the grout on their broad side. each is laid into place on its side, which affords the artist more creativity and fluidity to the images that are being created. The riviera is a giant pebble beach (the sand on the private beaches is trucked in every year!), so there is plenty of material. You can't help but touch the murals (one of the few times you CAN touch!) because of a connection with the artist and the way that the sea has polished and eroded each and every pebble down to a smooth finish. So tactile!

I have included photos of the murals, as well as a close up of the work.

Jean Cocteau was devastated by the death of his friend Edith Piaf. He choked upon hearing of her death, suffered a heart attack and died the same day as she did, October 11, 1963 (some say that Piaf died the 10th, but it is unclear which date is accurate).

On a happier note, PJ & I made a new little friend yesterday. Believe it or not, we actually saw TWO pugs (sorry, Roquets en Francais) at two different times in two different places. This sweet little girl had just given birth or was just about to... but she was as friendly as can be - full of kisses and loved to be petted, just like all pugs. We miss our little guy, but the word from Brampton is that all is a-ok!

Today's video is taken from just about in front of the apartment that we rented last year. It starts looking west to Cap Martin and then shows you shore line (retaining wall boulders, mostly) and pans east to the veille village and Italy. Notice that the guy who comes into the camera at the end is wearing RED PANTS!

Enjoy!