BARBARA TYSON 'Galerie de Garage Vernissage' SOLD OUT

After previous painting expeditions to the south of France,
I couldn’t wait to re-visit the same part of the world and be
welcomed back with open arms by my good friends Muriel
and Bertrand. What a privilege to spend time re-creating the
energy of Provence over the European summer then freeze
it on canvas.

This series of paintings begins in Roma, then continues along the
west coast of Italy to the tiny remote hamlet of “Les Beaumes”,
between Avignon and Aix en Provence, France, where I set up
a studio for four months.

My studio was a huge old deserted garage behind ‘la Maison’
where I stayed, which had been locked away from mankind (and
any kind of broom) for years. The previous owner, Charlie, an old
farmer, collected all sorts of fascinating equipment including rusty
prams, derelict super-marché trolleys, a wooden manger, discarded wind surfers, timber boxes on wheels, and a wonderful antique olive crusher I christened “Jean-Olivier”. Jean ended up being my constant companion as well as an amazing prop for my works and the best portable painting pallet you could imagine.

It took a week of sweeping 20 years of dust and replacing windowpanes before I could attach a lock to the huge wooden doors which I would leave open all day. The passers-by would drop in, chatting in French at great speed, as if it was an operating Art Gallery. Another week passed hunting art supplies, finding the outcome was bitter-sweet with metres of magnifique French linen - the ultimate but extravagant fabric for my work. Painting on linen is now my latest addiction. A close second is painting on antique grain sacks which I found driving through the beautiful town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.


My days began by devouring the still-warm croissants delivered
daily in the bread sack left out on the front door in the street, then
head off for a morning of inspiration.


It was a joy capturing the vibrant rich life of exciting festivals,
energetic dancing, effervescent outdoor cafés, colourful markets,
corridors of ancient cities, brilliant concerts, hot queues of
sightseers, bathers sprawled on miles of Mediterranean rocks,
magnificent architecture and sunflower fields.

I would then return to “La Garage” and capture the energy of themoment on linen clipped to the “chassis”.Over the period I met some extraordinary people. One, a most generous neighbour and local school teacher named Paul, would drop in during my hot days painting with his latest homemade blackberry and lavender jam or freshly baked citrus tart; often insisting at the end of a hard day, “You can’t work the whole time. How about a kayak down the Durance for champagne and watch the sunset”.

The magical days continued blissfully, and as a finale to my stay ended with a “Vernissage dans la Galerie de Garage” in the company of all the friends who helped me along the way. The translation of “Vernissage” is the celebration of the final layer of varnish to complete a painting.

With the encouragement of my sister, visiting for a couple of weeks, we filled the garage with my works, pegging them on ladders, old doors, scaffolding and any object that would display the paintings to my new found friends and the locals who were intrigued by the Australian who transformed Charlie’s garage.

I hope you enjoy my work . . .