Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage [Hardcover]

Margaret Hall Hoybach (Author), Joan Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

A watercolor artist's sketchbook and story, "Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage" sweeps readers along on Margaret Hall Hoybach's evocative journey along the back roads of France, from the Pyrenees to Brittany, and finally, to paint in Monet's fabled gardens at Giverny. What begins as a seemingly impossible dream becomes an interior odyssey and magic carpet ride, sometimes turbulent, but filled with beauty, humor and fulfillment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... luminous new book...informative, inspiring, funny. Scenes at Giverny...luscious with color. Village tableau and [other] studies...equally evocative." -- Barbara Lloyd McMichael, The Bookmonger, Pacific Northwest book review columnist, July 7, 2002

"Colors of France" is a rare combination of breath-taking paintings and lyrical prose--a full spectrum of the artistic experience." -- Marjorie Reynolds, author of

"Colors shares an experience of France that will be a cherished memory to some, a thing of beauty to all." -- Paul Figueroa, Director, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina

"No one who loves France should miss this book! It paints a true picture of the country and its people." -- Francoise Valenti, Artist-director of the Valenti Gallery, Roussillon, France

"There's...flawless synergy between the lovely images and essays which read like pages torn from...[a] journal--so personal and intimate." -- Writer's Digest

From the Publisher

Unless we encounter a magic lantern, most of us have to learn to become our own genies to make our wishes come true. Watercolor artist Margaret Hall Hoybach shows us how, taking us along on the six-week painting pilgrimage through the French countryside that fulfilled her lifelong desire.

Opening "Colors of France," we take the first step into a gentler world, a place apart, roaming the unbeaten paths of France, from the Pyrenees to Brittany. The climax is a sensory banquet in Monet's gardens at Giverny.

Hoybach's impressionistic sketches intertwine with the story of her own interior odyssey. "Colors of France" affords all who savor things of beauty the intimacy of seeing through an artist's eyes, as Hoybach's brush and pen carry us with her on the trip of a lifetime, a journey of the heart.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: First Light Books (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971708207
• ISBN-13: 978-0971708204
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting book!, October 10, 2002

By 

DMelendez (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage (Hardcover)

I very much enjoyed this delightfully personal and emotional journey through the backroads of a France not previously known. The beautiful illustrations by one of my favorite artists gave the reader vivid images of this gorgeous landscape. For a non-artist, it was especially interesting to experience the journey through an artist's eye...an artist very worthy of the invitation to paint Monet's gardens. The book is a wonderful collaboration by a gifted painter and a talented writer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A journey to be shared, August 26, 2002

By 

Cathy Cobb (Shreveport, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage (Hardcover)

Feasting and fasting, reflection and spontaneity, fellowship and solitude - all the elements of a pilgrimage are contained in this intimate account of Margaret Hall Hoybach's journey to paint Monet's gardens. Her sketches and paintings convey the wonder of her journey. Joan Brown captures the creative spark that propels an artist forward and the moments of conversion that await those willing to embrace their dreams. Colors of France is filled with rich, inviting textures arrayed for any traveler, regardless of destination. Hoybach's willingness to share her experience leads me to examine my own path. A good book to share with a friend.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, Wonderfully Illustrated Tale of France & Painting, June 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Colors of France: A Painting Pilgrimage (Hardcover)

I had an interest in this book as my parents own several Hoybach works. Margaret's Impressionist paintings of flowers are magnificent and in recognition of her talent she was invited to paint in the garden's of her even more reknowned predecessor, Monet. This book is an account of a painting trip through France including stops in Biarritz, the Pyrenees, St Etienne de Baigorry, Tarbes, Rocamadour, Ile d'yeu, Brelidy, Nantes, Limoges, and of course Giverny. With help from her friend Joan Brown, Hoybach shares her impressions of France through the written word as well as her paintbrush. Its a quick read but you will find yourself going back to enjoy the paintings. This one will stay on my coffee table a long time.