Fabienne Blanc

Aurouze

Aquarelles series

France

1999

Paper, watercolor

48x39 cm

Artist about this artwork Here is the Aurouze massif as seen from our hamlet; its summit rises to 2,700 meters. These mountains, made of grey limestone, turn a magnificent pink at sunset. I painted them from the other side of the Buëch river, which flows over pebbles and is almost dry in summer. The Hautes-Alpes is my family’s ancestral department, specifically the hamlet of Les Paroirs, 2km from the small town of Veynes. My mother researched our genealogy and traced us back to 1610; the Blanc family was already in the hamlet, living in one of its two oldest houses. I have spent every summer holiday there from early childhood to this day. I have crisscrossed the region by car, bicycle, and on foot, hiking the many paths leading to magnificent mountain lakes. In 1999, I created several watercolors of my beloved mountains and the small villages and houses nestled in the valleys. I painted them on the spot, with my outdoor easel attached to my bicycle rack. I hope to share my enthusiasm for this magnificent region with you through my works.