I was late getting to Clermont-Ferrand, thanks to the train strikes and a tension-fraught rental car drive from Amboise. We've driven all over France, but wouldn't you know that the one time we HAD to be somewhere by a certain time, it took us 3 hours longer than it should have to get there?? I won't go into all of the troubles we had, but if you've ever had the nightmare that you're supposed to be someplace (like onstage) at a fixed time and you CAN'T get there and you CAN'T get in touch with anyone to let them know, then you know what I'm talking about.
Finally, we made it and I got to the Polydome where the exhibition was mounted.
What an AMAZING event!! I really had no idea what it was going to be like, because there were no photos of the installation on the website of the biennale when I applied. There were two floors of the most sophisticated, bountiful displays of travel sketchbooks, by 130 artists---so many styles, so many formats, with scads of accompanying materials---it was a FEAST. Really, a total, full-bore, awe-inspiring feast. But I was there to stick to my display area and to talk to the many, many spectators who came to see the show. I participated in the panel of foreign participants on Saturday evening and that went just fine. I managed to sneak a quick peek at the other work on Sunday morning, thank heavens. I even bought a couple of published sketchbooks and ordered more from amazon dot france on my return. Many, many of the sketchbooks I saw were large (AT LEAST 9 x 12) and ambitious and powerful, with lots of text. A good number, maybe the majority, of the participants had been in the biennale numerous times. Their presentations were highly polished and really, really fun to see. I was like a kid at a three-
star confectioner's!
I didn't take photos but I made sketches, above and below, of some of my visitors and neighbors.



Thanks for the links!
artistic amitié from france
http://elodiestudler.blogspot.com/
Posted by: elodie studler | May 26, 2008 at 06:09 PM
Hi Laura: pity you didnt introduce yourself al Clermont-Ferrand! It would have been a real pleasure talking a bit with you.
Maybe next time.
Posted by: enrique | December 05, 2007 at 04:13 PM
Thank you for this report! I have always been very curious about this event: sounds like heaven to me. I am so jealous :)
Posted by: martha | December 04, 2007 at 09:37 PM
What a trip - in more ways than one. And I do know what that feeling is like re. your journey from Amboise to Clermont Ferrand - that must have been so awful! Roads in the Massif Central aren't the fastest I've known in France.....
Your sketches reminded me of all the ones I saw on Enrique's video of his sketchbook from the event. I guess everybody else's will have been doing the same thing!
Good to hear you are going bigger in 2008. I'm already doing more in my A4 sketchbook and am seriously thinking about going larger still!
Posted by: Katherine | December 04, 2007 at 07:55 PM
Thank you, thank you! It was quite the event, I agree---and getting there was quite the adventure, *cough, cough.*
Wish you all could have been there. Dee, you commented immediately on my completing the post, Ms. Quickdraw! Jeanne was both sweet and talented, absolutely. Linda, I've posted a list of the sketchbooks I collected, today.
Posted by: Laura | December 03, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Wow, what a great event! And you SO deserved to be a part of it! Wish I could have been there to see it all. Lovely sketches, great links and immensely interesting to read about. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: nina j | December 01, 2007 at 02:10 PM