Fabienne BlancThe Buëch in Autumn from the Savoyons Bridge, Hautes-Alpes, 1999 · €750
(from the “Aquarelles” series)
Paper, watercolor · 35 × 43 cm · France

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.

It is a region I have crisscrossed by car, bicycle, and on foot, hiking the many paths leading to magnificent mountain lakes.

That is how, 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.

Another view of the Buëch river from the Savoyons bridge. The trees are dressed in flamboyant colors. What a pleasure to paint during this season.