Paris 2020 (3 of 12) -- Jardin des Plantes

This garden oasis in Paris is brimming with beauty and history. It's home to several large museum buildings. As well as a thriving small zoological park. I've only seen this wonderland in winter. This year's unseasonable sunny mornings and cool but mild temps gave me a taste of what a glory that famous "Springtime in Paris" season must be at the Jardin des Plantes (JdP).

The hall of comparative anatomy at JdP is an evocative building to explore on a rainy day. Since I had so much sun shine in the mornings this year's trip, I wandered the beautiful gardens, the the company of joggers, students, and little kids with parents and nannies...

 The building below is a museum about the Jardin.

 Spectacular tree...

 Many monuments to the great men of science who have held the post of director of the Natural History Museum...

 This view shows some laboratory buildings from the 1800s that are used as offices today..

 One of many entrances to the Menagerie (zooological park)

 You can see some views inside the Menagerie in in the post from 2017
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/paris-menagerie-at-jardin-des-plantes.html

Tree lined walkways along the Jardin mall... these wide walkways were once horse carriage lanes...

Approaching the Grand Gallery of Evolution building..

 Two views of the huge greenhouse.... a great place to get out of the cold if you're here in the dead of winter. It's a tropical rainforest inside there...

some views inside the greenhouse... and museum of the jardin... from my 2016 visit with Huggable Koi plush art by my artist friend Bonnie:
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/huggable-koi-in-france-2016-angouleme.html

Each building along this grassy mall houses a nature-themed collection...

The tropical green house on the grounds is a great escape on a wintry day..

It's not winter inside here!

Koi cousins enjoying life in Paris...

This plaque lets you touch all sorts of tropical trees....

Koi #10 also enjoyed seeing this portrait, based on the first Giraffe specimen .. the painting isn't very accurate, since it was based only the hide of the Giraffe. 

This painting is part of a gallery about the history of the natural history museum...

See more about Huggable Koi here:https://www.etsy.com/shop/HuggableKoi

back to 2020...
View of the carriage lane from the steps of the Grand Gallery building...

 Quad and green house from the Grand Gallery steps...

This year, I couldn't visit one of my favorite buildings there.. the hall of comparative anatomy. It's closed now while the roof is getting renovated. These images my 2016 visit will show you just a few of the exhibits there: http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/paris-2016-post-in-progress.html

Gallery of Comparative Anatomy at Natural History Museum of Paris...http://www.mnhn.fr/fr/visitez/lieux/galeries-anatomie-comparee-paleontologie

 The collections in all the museums at the JdP are links to past cultures and treasures. The buildings themselves are also historical. They were constructed as state of the art in the late 1800s, survived WWII, and are conserved today. We can enjoy their past splendor, along with modern amenities that protect the collections and keep museum attendees happy, like AC and central heating.

Paris 2020 (4 of 12) -- street art smarts from (@paris_paintings) rad_1paintings on Instagram UPDATED 11.9.20

On a sunny Sunday, like most tourists, I was walking around the scenic areas. The bridges near Notre Dame were busy with vendors of all sorts....

as well as street artists....

This display below caught my eye...

https://www.instagram.com/paris_paintings/

UPDATE -- This artist has this new name for his IG account: rad_1paintings

What's especially smart about this set-up, is when you go to the link the artist features, you find his personal work -- amazing, compelling photographs..... not the little tourist art on his display. The link rewards an audience that is curious about artists and art. Win-win!!

I'm always looking for smart ways artists are making their art work harder for them. This artist had a display of appealing small original canvases. They were little souvenir images. A handy size for packing in a suitcase. A unique gift to bring to friends, family, etc. The subject matter was geared to that market. The display featured his Instagram handle... so if you took a photo of his set-up, you would likely get that in the shot as well, and be able to find him again online. That's so smart!!!

In  my survival-level French, I asked the artist if I could take some photos of his display. He gave permission in English and we chatted some more in English about his work. I told him how impressed I was with his marketing. He told me his personal work was nothing like the little paintings he was selling. Then we discussed how artists often have to make time for the personal art they deeply value, while they produce other art and/or have a "day job" to support themselves.

What I found very astute about what this artist was doing was the way he was juggling both sides of his art work-life. Yes, he was doing the street art, knocking off little canvases to fill a niche in the tourist market. But he was also using that art to spark some interest in his personal work. He was using the tourist art as a bridge to connect followers to work that he valued more.

How do you build a career where the art you love to make is the artWORK that supports you???

You build that loyal following of clients who are invested in you. That's not just "likes" and "shares." That's financial support. They learn your story, support your vision, and will spend money every year on your work.

Do the math.

If you live in an expensive city, are free lance having to self-fund your benefits, and especially if you have dependents.. you may need $100,000 a year. That feels like an impossible goal...

But look at the problem another way....  can you market your art to attract 1,000 clients who will spend $100 a year on your art.

The possibilities can become realities.

You have to see the business opportunities.

At the end of our chat, I insisted on paying a token amount for his time and the permission to take the photos. I told him I didn't want to just take photos and not pay for them... that I wanted other tourists to see that I wasn't just taking the photos without compensating him somehow for his work. He would only accept my money if I accepted a painting in return. I fear I didn't pay him enough given how much I really enjoy that little painting...... Meanwhile.. I encourage all of you reading this to check out his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/rad_1paintings
His photography there is AMAZING!!! He deserves an exhibition for the images is producing.

As he said, his personal work is nothing like his street art. But his little paintings are wonderful mementos for the public... and a reminder to them that art is a way we conserve our memories and share them.
And these little canvases could lead a larger audience to his valuable personal work.

Watch for posts coming soon on one of my best friends in Paris.. the Rhino of Versailles!

Paris 2020 (5 of 12) -- ile saint-louis

There are two natural islands in the Seine. Ile Saint-Louis has a narrow street of charming shops, restaurants, hotels, and a cathedral (under renovation in 2020).
https://www.tripsavvy.com/paris-neighborhoods-ile-saint-louis-1517738

Here's Notre Dame in the distance in this view crossing the bridge to the island...

 The banks of the island can be reached by staircases. They are popular places to stroll, and enjoy the view from a bench...

Flower shop on  the narrow center street... where all the action is..

shop window on the street

 restaurant

 World famous Berthillon ice cream store...
https://www.yelp.com/biz/berthillon-paris-2

Ice cream counter interior side. I enjoyed a single scoop of the coffee flavor. The other side of the store has a small restaurant area with tables etc.

The river bank bench where I ate my ice cream. In February. That should give you a clue as to what a mild winter day it was...

Views of the main street corner on the island...