In the garden of Henri Matisse 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A whatsthepointillistic song reflecting the progress of Robert McLean's painting course in Henri Matisse's villa Le Rêve in Vence, France, in June/July 2002. The first lines were written in Norway, the rest of the first two verses written in a park in Nice on a Saturday morning, and the rest was written in room 14 in the villa or in the garden, just before the nightly wine, women and song (all right, and men and children) beneath the starry, starry night, while painting our palates blue and gray.

In the south of France,
in the town of Vence,
in the garden of Henri Matisse.
We're gathered for some fun
with the scenery and the sun,
to share a week of mere creative bliss.

We are a world
away from boredom and frustration,
We are a world,
we are a small United Nations.

Blessed are the meek.
We'll be artists in a week.
Others spend a lifetime to succeed.
But first let us be fed!
For in the week ahead
we have brains and hearts and souls to feed.

We are a world away from sticky expectations,
We will return with new techniques and inspiration.

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