I have been quite gleeful for these calm snow days in Paris. I notice more children out and about with their faces lit with excitement and their tongues out catching nice, full, fluffy flurries. I too, found myself with my tongue out in an attempt to just have one of those, what seems, sugar coated flakes to fall gently in my mouth. I stopped and straightened up only after a French gentleman offered me some of his water, as if I was in need of some hydration.
It is a funny thing how winter weather can make adults, like myself, revisit their childhood and act as curious as the young. I am reminded of a time only a few years ago while living in Atlanta, there was a great ice storm that cancelled school and offered a thick layer of ice over everything. The streets and sidewalks were like skating rinks, and my mother's winter garden had a clear, sheen layer over all the leaves and branches. My younger brother and I went out to explore and found ourselves biting things, which in any other weather condition would have seemed absurd. It was that thick layer of ice that made everything seem candy coated. I was filled with a similar gleeful excitement during my visit on the rue Saint-Honore to the special little space of Astier de Villatte How wonderful these handmade white ceramics are. Each one is made with care, and have their own slight individual characteristics. I first came in tactile contact with these beautiful bowels awhile back. It was during a visit at the John Derian boutique in SOHO. It was lust at first sight, then love right when I picked up one of the light, lovely pieces. Since then, I have read some featured articles about these works and the artist. The website, too, has glimpses of that child-like exploration and curiosity.
