NIKKI as she calls herself


                                


My daughter Nicky came back from the South of France last week. She had been down there for two months and our daily sms conversation was full of energy about our different adventures. I was so glad while she was down in the outbacks of Provence that she was able to visit Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Monaco... and especially Saint Paul de Vence. Nicky was able to take some interesting  photos making me a little envious as Paris was grey and cold at the time

Now it’s beautiful but -10° this morning.




That part of the world is «modern art country». I am not putting the region into competition with the Impressionist country (Avignon, Marseille, Normandy...) but by now, you know that I prefer modern art. This is Picasso land (Antibes),  with an unforgettable collection, Matisse, Chagall and of course the Foundation Maeght at Saint Paul. At the moment they are celebrating 50 years of their collection with artists
 including Jean-Michel Alberola, Pierre Alechinsky, Arman, Balthus, Miquel Barcelo,  Lars Fredrikson, Wolfgang Gäfgen, Jean Le Gac, Henri Michaux, Pierre Soulages and Vladimir Velickovic...if only....

However,  getting back to Nicky...what I think really went ahead in this period was her work. She’s an artist but like the artists I know, not exactly competent about selling her work. It would be nice if Mum took over this role! She’s a sculptor and like her grandmother a «collagist» and an excellent one. One of those artists when you look at her work and you DONT say «oh, that reminds me of so and so...» Her grandmother certainly influenced her collage style - for some pictures - an imaginary world has influenced her painting and African or South American have had an influence on her sculpture.


Like many artists, she’s as poor a a church mouse and relies on her imagination to concoct colours, make her own clay and come up with ways of making her sculptures so they don’t break. I have a «Nicky’s corner» on my book case. Many friends look at it (I change the setting frequently) and say «where did that come from?» without relating the work to Nicky. She has a palette which is fascinating. If only she had the same energy to go out and sell.


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