in catalunya now I write this from the Centre DÁrt I Natura, looking out from the windows of the center's office space at a steep mountainside across which float puffs of mist...it is a cool and rainy day here, perfect for settling in, a few short walks with my camera, and the beginnings of some mixed media paintings. I arrived here yesterday evening with my friend Marina Broere. Our shared studio is directly below this office, so we also view the mountainside, and it is breathtaking. When I was last here, in 2001, this was an extremely rustic old barn. It has been transformed into a modern, beautiful building which includes a communal dining area and residential section with bedrooms, and a small kitchen and bath. It is a very comfortable, serene and inspiring place.

I´m a bit jet lagged after travel, which included one stretch of 30 hours without sleep before we finally landed in our hotel room in Barcelona. Before getting on the bus to Farrera (the medieval Pyrenees village where CAN is located) yesterday afternoon, we had time to do a bit of exploring in Barcelona, to walk around the Gothic quarter, eat some tapas, and most importantly to locate the art supply store where we both bought beautiful watercolor papaer made in Catalunya, and a few other delights.

This morning I woke up fairly early, had coffee on my sweet little balcony and took a walk to an ancient cattle barn, down stone paths through the village and along a ridge, grassy paths overlooking deep valeys on either side. The air was fragrant with pungent plants and wild herbs, and it was extremely quiet. Later after some studio time, Marina and I took the same walk, and on the return, the sun suddenly came through the mist and made the slate roofs of the village across the valley shine.

(I can´t figure out how to post photos, but hoping my written description will do some justice to this amazing place.)

It is a tremendous joy to be back here and to look forward to three weeks of work and exploration.  ¶ 10:38 AM