Pech Merle Sanctuary

I have had the opportunity to visit many galleries and museums throughout my travels over the years, but my trip this week to the Pech Merle Grotte was an unexpected and magical artistic moment. Located in the Cele Valley in the Midi-Pyrenees near the village of Cabrerets.
I found a treasure of influential markings that will stay with me a long time.

As I descended into the center of the French earth, cool and damp, there among the stalagmites and stalactites were works of art from the prehistoric age, preserved in perfect condition.
This cave was found in 1922 by two teenagers from of village of Cabrerets. It had been sleeping for 24x600 year( you do the math). It consist of seven magnificent "rooms" of the sanctuary, connected by passageways and galleries exhibiting
Engravings, paintings, enigmatic signs, the marks of hands and footprints.
After almost a kilometer of galleries, the dappled horses of Pech Merle suddenly and miraculously appear, and there is a tangible presence of something that reaches from the far depths of time.

You will see the influences from the these Cro-Magnon artists in my new work, layered with my newly acquired knowledge of the intaglio etching process. I am energized by my this latest discovery and look forward to many hours of experimenting and painting and of course sharing this new direction with you all.
Thanks for your interest in my adventures, see you again soon.
http://www.quercy.net/pechmerle/english/introduction.html

Love to all
Marti