An invitation to exhibit at the Carnet de Voyages, Aix-en-Province

Thursday

I was fortunate to be invited to exhibit my work at the Carnet de Voyage festival in the south of France in February 2023. Somehow, my name had been passed on to André, the organiser, and I spent the weeks leading up to the event preparing my exhibition—this included printing copies of a book about my travels around the Middle East before the pandemic.

Carnet de Voyage (travel diary) exhibitions in France are artistic showcases centred on hand-drawn, illustrated journals created while travelling. They feature intimate, on-the-spot sketches, watercolours, and written notes that capture the immediacy and atmosphere of a place. It’s a uniquely French tradition, celebrating both travel and artistic storytelling.

When I arrived at the exhibition hall—the Amphithéâtre de la Manufacture—I began setting up my work, only to realise I had brought every type of fixing imaginable… except the ones needed for a cage grid structure. Fortunately, thanks to the kindness of fellow exhibitors, I was able to borrow what I needed and get everything in place.

Before the weekend began, I managed a quick walk around Aix, knowing I wouldn’t have much opportunity to explore once the exhibition was underway.

Friday

After an early start, the event got underway, and I was surprised by just how busy it was. I’m not sure the same subject matter would attract quite as much interest back in the UK, but the French visitors were incredibly enthusiastic. Although very few spoke English, they still made the effort to engage—far more successfully than my attempts at French!

Saturday

The days were long and tiring, but it was such a pleasure to catch up with fellow sketchers who were also exhibiting, including Barbara Luel, Bonnie-Britt, and Susan Knapp, who had kindly offered advice ahead of the event and helped me navigate the language barrier once I arrived, which made a huge difference.

It was also fascinating to spend time chatting with some of the other French exhibitors—the scale and adventurous nature of their travels were truly inspiring.

After dinner, I managed to slip out briefly into the city to get a taste of an Aix Saturday night.

Sunday

The final day was slightly shorter, with a chance to explore more of the city after a last get-together to celebrate the end of the exhibition. I felt very honoured to have been invited and would love to take part in another Carnet de Voyage in the future. I even managed to squeeze in a few quick sketches over the weekend too.

It was all too short a time in Aix, and I would love to return someday to explore more of Cézanne’s city.

With Marie Christine Compan and Susan Knapp - my two fabulous exhibition neighbours!