When moving to a new place, everything can feel a little upside down and not quite home…
Vikki finds it best to make sure my daybed is up and next to her desk with my favourite comfy blanket on it so I can snooze and watch her unpack our stuff! She hangs some pictures and gets a few familiar loved items out.. just to feel a little bit more like home amidst the chaos!
At least I’m comfy in the chaos!
Wherever my human lives, she likes to find a piece of art that reminds and represents that certain time, place or event in life. Sometimes it’s a painting, sculpture, vase or a ceramic bowl.
A long while ago, Vikki saw a super picture of Monte-Carlo that she really liked. It was a print from a painting of Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Picture of Monte-Carlo
My human lived in Monaco for quite a number of years and thought this picture would be a lovely souvenir of her time there.
She looked in many shops for it in Monaco and France but could not find it. So she thought maybe the picture had stopped selling.
As we were packing to leave for England, Vikki started thinking about the picture that she never managed to find. She was a bit sad that she never found it. A few days before we were due to leave, she came across the name of the artist and his website on the internet!
The artist is called Martin Rhys-Jones. He is an English artist who has lived in Tourettes-sur-Loup for a long time.
There were some wonderful pictures on his website. She loved the pen lithographs of Eze Village and St Paul de Vence..special places that we know and love.
I recognise these views from our walks in Eze and St Paul de Vence!
So, she telephoned the artist to ask if he knew where she could find his pictures and he invited us to come round to his home to have a look instead.
Martin Rhys-Jones at home
Vikki was very happy! She finally found the picture of Monte-Carlo that she wanted as well as two other wonderful drawings of Eze and St Paul de Vence. It was lucky that the artist was at home and welcoming to our visit.
As a very nice gesture, we were given special versions and the artist also made an original signature on them for us…
Signing our pictures!
I want to see too!
Do you want my pawtograph on them?
I think Mr. Artist found our visit highly amusing!
Once we arrived in England, Vikki took the pictures to the picture framers and now they are framed and hanging sweetly on our wall…they make Vikki smile 🙂
We are starting to settle in and I am looking foward to showing you round in a future post!
The super pictures are a wonderful reminder of our time there 🙂
All a bit topsy -turvy here at the moment..but at least the pictures are up!
Zola the Rhodesian Ridgeback Girl 
Zola, I’ll be going through the same thing at some point in the not-too-distant future and am not looking forward to it. In the meantime, I’m attempting to cull 27 years of possessions so that I have a chance at fitting most of them into our rental house. Sigh. Tell Vicki I love the pictures and that I hope you’re all settling in well. Hello from Megan, too. 🙂
Howw lucky you were to find the artist! His work is beautiful. How nice to have a little piece to remind you of your life in France. Zola, you look quite comfy!!
Hello Zola! Hope that you’re enjoying the sunshine today? I am looking forward to seeing you next week. I am so glad that you and Vikki met Martin the painter…. I love the pictures!…lots of happy memories in those and now lots more to look forward to 🙂 xx
Hi Vikki and Zola, hope you are settling down well here in the UK….love the pictures they look great in your new home.
Wow, fantastic – signed pictures – that’s a treat. PS – Zola, that first pic of you is adorable.
What a kind man that artist was – as well as talented. I think his pictures are wonderful.
Your bed looks super-comfy. Can you scooch over and make a bit of room for me?
Love and licks, Winnie