Bedouin & Breakfast

Posted on 04/12/2013 by Slim Paley

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“I wish for all this to be marked on my body when I am dead. I believe in such cartography – to be marked by nature, not just to label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. We are not owned or monogamous in our taste or experience.”
― Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

Yes, that.

So we jumped at the opportunity to spend a sand-swept day and star-filled night in the wilds of the desert at the end our Moroccan adventure.

( it’s almost over…just 1 more post-after this one )

890A7354 We departed from our hotel located in the outskirts of the city of Ouarzazete by helicopter

890A7365 a 50 minute journey over epic scenery

L1020995 which we loved…albeit ever vigilant for potential emergency landing spots (see it?!)

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890A7367 Incredible to see how specks of verdant green popped up occasionally

L1030005 and the lengths some people will go to to ‘unplug’

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rtwgd While it’s true that my friend and I did ever so slightly miss the presence of Ralph…

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and couldn’t help but give Omar a thought

or two…

Sand people The hotel camp had us covered!

The tents were amazing

890A7386 Crisp white sheets, hot water bottles and a private loo. You can just imagine my happiness.

890A7395 More Happiness

(P.S. Gordon’s Gin people, please feel free to contact me for the photo )

Screen Shot 2013-03-14 at 4.00.27 PM Slim Sandy

890A7485 ‘The desert could not be claimed or owned—it was a piece of cloth carried by winds, never held down by stones’

from The English Patient.

L1150138 Tagine served from a huge earthenware pot

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L1030076 What we listened to under the canopy of a billion stars?

“Us & Them” from Dark Side of the Moon of course!

(click for mandatory listening please!)

and as I’ve learned through experience, there’s something quite magical about watching an old movie while tucked in a tent in the middle of nowhere, I brought my newest old favourite;

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“The Rains Came”

With no irony.

Screen Shot 2013-04-11 at 8.14.44 PM Dawn in the desert

890A7438 A peacefulness one can’t describe

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890A7489 Strike a pose

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Bedouins_John_Singer_Sargent John Singer Sargent’s Bedouins

890A7482 Bedouin Breakfast

a little sand kicking up??

IMG_3558 copy no problem for my ever resourceful, quick thinking friend who manages to eat breakfast, play DJ and start a new style trend at the same time.

890A7421 “Ralph…Ralph…We’re here for you…”

caf8fa84021816e56fcc2147dc7ce94d_view The John Singer Sargent exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum is on now through July 28th

Our desert sojourn was organized by Maison Des Reves

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and have a splendid weekend!

Watercolour Wannabe

Posted on 08/16/2012 by Slim Paley

Slim Paley Photo

..Painter’s palette plates at Fishes Eddy NYC.

I had such lofty plans for doing some painting this summer.

I was saving,

saving

and saving this post until I could add just one finished painting of my own.

I’m not going to suggest it would have been anything like this

John Singer Sargent was in Greece.

I was in Greece too!

One of us was a bit more productive.

though I did take my watercolours to Paris

and I certainly visited Laduree…

This is not my painting. (via Pinterest)

even just a little bird like this would have been something

But alas, my painting muse flew the coop

I did find a few pretty images of paint boxes in my travels both on land and the internet

and colours blending in a water coloury fashion

I could certainly paint this, couldn’t I?

Perhaps I simply spent too much time on my ‘gadgets’

ah-D’ya think???!

Let’s all take a collective moment to be thankful that Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso et al didn’t have an iPad.

These sweet little slippers from Anthropology whispered;

“You never painted this summer! For shame, for shame”

”Christopher Clutches” filled with watery colour goodness mocked me too

Watercolours in every permutation floated through my days,

a spectral reminder of broken promises to myself

Black Crow

Tablescapes

Pillows

Baboucherie

Down the runway

…and back to the table again

John Singer Sargent

Images abounded to chide me;

PAINT! PAINT! What’s the matter with you? PAINT!!

Tamara Comolli Collection

Well, actually, this image was more like “Buy me! Buy me! What’s the matter with you?? Buy me!”

.Slim Paley photo

My little box of travel watercolours (Winsor & Newton)

and one very tightly painted pear from my class. I had to cut it out from the page because my shadowing was so bad.

Did I mention I’m a Virgo?? Albeit one that doesn’t feel the need to clean her paintbox or cut her pear particularly well?!)

Sargent.

LOOK at this!

I could say this is why I don’t even try

Paola Navone china

Sargent.

He kills me.

…

Wallpapers available at BLACK CROW STUDIOS

If one were really, really brave, you could forgo the wallpaper altogether, soak the wall and just go at it with your own paints.

Issey Miyake feeling it

Who would think baking a cake would ever start looking like the easiest option?!

Slim Paley photo

Fishes Eddy NY

Sargent

I’m visiting friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico soon.

My travel paints will be going into my luggage.

Taking bets??!

How about you? Have you been artistic this summer?

I hope so!

Gallic Stripes

Posted on 05/11/2010 by Slim Paley

Almost too excited to say it, but I’m on my way to Europe in about 48 hours!! I will be away a couple of weeks but hope to post and perhaps even ‘tweet’ from there (my sons will be so proud of me… well, actually one will be, and one will be mortified ) Needless to say, my trusty little Leica will be in my pocket. I’ve been frantically packing, repacking, trying things on, sorting through accessories, downsizing toiletries, etc. etc. Not that I need much (cough cough) but nothing like a trip across the pond to inspire a Spring closet cleanse. One of the places I’ll be going is Cannes, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to post the homage to Breton Stripes I’ve been compiling. My initial inspiration took root a few months ago, when I ordered the adorable pair of striped Uggs you’ll see further below. I was about to post when Mr. Ugg emailed to say they were sold out. Life goes on. Then about 10 days ago I received another email saying they were back in stock- Happiness! Finally, my Breton striped beauties arrived. Wrong size. I called back- all sold out for the second time! With rather pathetic determination I slid my striped boats boots back on again and reevaluated in several mirrors to see if the clown shoe effect was just a single mirror fluke- no such luck…so back they’ve gone. If anyone wants a pair in size 9, call quickly and you might get mine. (note; they run BIG- I’m an 8, these fit like a 10)

Hepburn and Tracey

Classic Breton stripe long sleeve T-shirt by Petit Bateau

Sarah and Gerald Murphy

Breton stripes and the whole Cote D’Azur vibe always brings to mind the book “Everybody Was So Young“; the biography written by Amanda Vaill about Sarah and Gerald Murphy. Good Summer read!

Jean Seberg

GGivenchy

Espadrilles (lost the credit)

One of my most favourite books of photographs of the South of France; Lartique’s Riviera

(available on Amazon)

Chanel 2010

Oh how I adore this perfume and all the great old memories it brings back- such a classic! It made me feel like a real grown up. A languid day in the sun, a nice refreshing shower, a white linen dress and a spritz of “Rive Gauche”= a perfect recipe!