At the Cottage On the way back
down from Les Baux, in the middle of a "screamer" downhill my friend Mary noticed what sweat in the eyes
had blinded us to on the way up. A small stone
cottage where this man makes santons completely by hand. He is holding the small figure of a monk. He
kneads the fine clay in his hands and presses it between two-piece plaster molds made from his own original wood carvings. The piece is removed from the mold for painting. before being dried and baked. His hand painting is done with great care, using bright colors and with incredible care for detail. After a few hours of baking the piece is ready to take its place in a long line of finished pieces on a shelf, waiting for someone to come along and find it.He has made figures by hand in this cottage for over forty years. He seems contented and fulfilled. Very much at peace. BACK |