All about art with Annette Morris
As I love to dabble in a bit of painting and sketching, I have planned to incorporate a sketching/watercolour painting workshop in our next France holiday. This research lead me to Annette’s website. Consequently, I have been following along with her delightful Instagram posts and enticing newsletters dreaming of a holiday in south west France.
In a recent blogpost, ‘7 ways to immerse yourself in France’, I included Annette’s website in my links. Annette and I have since connected and I am excited to have her join the French Views community.
Annette Morris
Carole: Bienvenue to French Views Annette. I believe you are originally from England. Can you please tell the readers how you came to be living in France.
Annette: Thank you Carole! It sounds a cliché but it was really a dream to experience life in southern France all year round and not just as a visitor. We are a family of Francophiles and we spent all our childhood holidays touring France. After learning French in my teens and learning more about the culture, it always held a fascination and became an itch that needed to be scratched!
Annette with Skype
Carole: Can you please tell us a bit about your special place in France? Why you love it?
Annette: For over 15 years I’ve lived in the region previously known as Languedoc-Roussillon. Although I have travelled across most areas of France this is always the area I was drawn to and I was determined to try living here one day. It is frequently referred to as ‘the real’ south of France, because it is very similar to Provence, but it’s less well known. It has magnificent cities, quaint villages, glorious sandy beaches, rolling vineyards and huge skies as far as the eye can see. It’s also steeped in history and tradition, and with its proximity to Spain there are Catalan influences too. The vast landscapes and tiny villages have a certain ‘wildness’ about them, and I find that very appealing.
Annette enjoying the beautiful landscape, as part of AMA Capitelles
Carole: If someone was visiting your region, what are the top 5 places you would recommend that they shouldn’t miss?
Annette: Montpellier, which is a fabulous city and often considered to be the Paris of the south. It has so much for visitors to enjoy including beautiful parks, stunning architecture, buzzing street cafés and markets - it’s a city with a lovely energy.
Collioure, which is on the Vermilion coastline not far from the Spanish border - this small but charming port town filled with colour has appealed to artists and art lovers for centuries, and if you also like tapas, you’re in for a treat!
The Canal du Midi, which is a real feat of engineering and considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century. In some places, it also forms part of the pilgrimage trail Santiago de Compostela. It’s incredible how the Canal navigates across the mainland and at different heights. The Neuf Ecluses at Béziers is the best place to see the staircase of 8 locks and watch the boats make their descent towards the Mediterranean.
Market in Saint-Chinian by Annette Morris
The walled Cité de Carcassonne, which is an impressive hilltop fortification with 3km of ramparts and 52 towers. It is most well known for its role as a Cathar stronghold during the wars which affected many settlements in this region between the 12th and 14th centuries. La Cité is within walking distance of the medieval city of Carcassonne which has a busy market square and hosts an impressive international music festival in July.
‘Inspiré Azille’ an original artwork by Annette Morris
For a fifth choice I have to suggest one of the hundreds of small villages full of history that have cobbled streets and old stone buildings - these give you a true taste of life in this part of France and the wine-growing culture that runs deep within the hearts of the people. Many of these villages are also considered the most beautiful in France so you will find a great selection on the site Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. They all have something very unique yet representative of this area - Lagrasse, Minerve, Eus, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Olargues … to name but a few!
Annette painting on location
Carole: Now let’s talk about your love of art. Has this been a lifelong passion?
Annette: Yes it has, and part of my decision to move to France was to pursue that passion even further :) Since moving here I also became a volunteer for the international Urban Sketchers organisation, and this has been a hugely rewarding experience.
Urban sketch of a French town
Carole: What is the Urban Sketchers organisation?
Annette: Urban Sketchers is a non-profit organisation and a global community of people dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing (never from photos). Through our sketches we share our love for the places where we live and travel. The Urban Sketchers movement is predominantly about storytelling, creating art that captures a place or event at a particular moment in time - in a sense, we are visual historians! There are approximately 400 Urban Sketchers groups worldwide and a membership of thousands. I founded the group for Languedoc-Roussillon and all the events that we organise are free and open to anyone - it’s a wonderful network.
Annette on location in Nîmes and more of her artwork below
Carole: You offer amazing workshops in sketching and painting. What are the benefits of attending one of these workshops?
Annette: The term ‘sketching’ conjures up different interpretations, but in the context of my workshops it is sketching using a mix of media including pencils, ink pens and watercolour. Taking part in a workshop is a fun and immersive experience which combines learning not just technical artistic & watercolour skills but about the place you are sketching.
My workshops are about relaxing, learning new things and connecting with a group of like-minded people. When you sketch something you look at it differently, and this process is both mindful and exciting at the same time. I’ve received some really lovely feedback from people who have joined a workshop - you can see some of their reviews on my website and social media pages.
Beryl, Annette’s vintage 1972 Citroën
Carole: Where do you hold your workshops?
Annette: Anywhere and everywhere! The majority of my programme takes place in the Languedoc area with workshops in cities, villages and vineyards. We almost always sketch outside so the choice of great subjects is endless! I also run an action-packed workshop event in Paris every spring. In 2024 I’ll also be hosting a week in Provence in June.
Annette teaching art in a relaxed beautiful setting. Art is for everyone and attending a workshop with Annette would enhance your French holiday.
Since the pandemic I have been offering online classes too, many are ‘live’ via Zoom. These have been a great alternative for people who cannot travel to France but would like to develop sketching & watercolour skills at home. The workshop subjects are usually related to la vie française, bien sûr!
Students in the vineyard
Carole: As a novice artist, would these workshops suit me?
Annette: Absolutely! It’s surprising how many people have confidence issues relating to art and ‘how to’ paint and draw. In my workshops we work through things in a step-by-step process which is ideal for beginners, but also the techniques used make the workshops valuable for more experienced artists too. The truth is, we can all make art and I just help facilitate that process - there are plenty of guidelines, but no rules!
Annette with just some of her many students
Annette and some more of her wonderful artwork and look at that view!
Carole: Do you also sell your art?
Annette: Yes I do, original paintings and prints both online through my website and via exhibitions and galleries. I also undertake a limited number of commission projects every year.
‘Sunflowers’ by Annette Morris
Carole: Merci beaucoup Annette for sharing your story and wonderful photos. I look forward to exploring my passion for art with you in the future.
If you would like to contact Annette to find out more, here are some links below.
Annette Morris at the Etchr Studio
‘Narbonne’ by Annette Morris
