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arts education by Maureen Curtis A Painting Holiday in France: It Could Change Your Life c e n t r e , raised a family, and p u r s u e d their artistic fantasies w h i l e s t r a d dling t w o c o n t i n e n t s and t h r e e nations. Paul was b o r n in England and t r a i n e d as a painter b e f o r e c o m i n g t o V a n c o u v e r t o teach art. In 1977. he w e n t o n a E u r o p e a n holiday a n d m e t B a b e t t e in F r a n c e . D e s p i t e the differe n c e b e t w e e n t h e i r ages and the raised e y e b r o w s of relatives, they fell in love. T h e c o u p l e s e t t l e d into Paul's h o m e in L i o n s Bay, but Paul d i s c o v e r e d that he had a longing t o o w n a h o u s e in rural F r a n c e . B a b e t t e , f o r h e r part, w a n t e d t o visit h e r family. " F r e n c h girls have t o recharge t h e i r batteries regularly," explains Paul. Packing up t h e i r baby daughter, the Deggans w e n t in s e a r c h f o r a likely s p o t . T h e y f o u n d a d e c r e p i t h o u s e in M o n t a i g u t - l e - B l a n c , w h i c h had t h e d o u b l e - e d g e d c h a r m of being b o t h affordable and situated in a scenic m e d i e v a l village d r a p e d o v e r grassy hills and s u r r o u n d e d by fields e n c o u r a g e m e n t and i n s t r u c t i o n from Paul and guest i n s t r u c t o r s , such as the N o r t h S h o r e ' s Kiff H o l l a n d . A n d f r o m e v e r y angle in this m e d i e v a l village, t h e r e is a paintable v i e w b a t h e d in the w a r m light t h a t i n s p i r e d the French impressionists. A d d country walks, market excursions, delicious repasts w i t h f r e e - f l o w i n g w i n e s and beers p r e p a r e d by B a b e t t e , and y o u ' v e g o t magic. Last s u m m e r , A n n W h i t e a t t e n d e d the w o r k s h o p s with her husband. W h i l e he w o r k e d at refreshing rusty painting skills, A n n p o l i s h e d up h e r F r e n c h . H e r favourite m e m o r i e s are t h e hearing t h e c h u r c h bells c h i m e f r o m early m o r n i n g until evening, cutting t h r o u g h t h e c r u s t of a fresh loaf o f b r e a d f r o m t h e village bakery, w a l k i n g t h r o u g h t h e fields, and w a t c h ing the artists in t h e g r o u p p r o g r e s s f r o m day t o day. O n e artist (and r e a l estate d e v e l o p e r ) , Brian R o m e r o f W e s t V a n c o u v e r , p r o d u c e d a painting a day. W h i t e f o u n d she c o u l d apply m u c h of w h a t t h e artists w e r e l e a r n ing t o h e r photography. Life s l o w e d d o w n as she s t u d i e d the way light s h o n e o n the ancient buildings, o b s e r v e d butterflies a t t r a c t e d t o the lavender, o r w a t c h e d a t h u n d e r s t o r m m o v e o v e r the c o u n t r y s i d e . " T h e A rtist and t e a c h e r Paul Deggan and his wife B a b e t t e are living t h e i r d r e a m , and they d o it by helping o t h e r s begin t o live theirs. F o r t h e past 20 years, these W e s t V a n c o u v e r residents have w e l c o m e d students t o their s u m m e r w o r k s h o p s in their s e c o n d h o m e in the h e a r t of F r a n c e . T h e w o r k s h o p program started o u t as a C a p i l a n o C o l l e g e - s p o n s o r e d " p a i n t i n g h o l i d a y " in t h e 15th-century village of M o n t a i g u t - l e - B l a n c . O v e r t i m e it has e x p a n d e d t o include painting and d r a w i n g sessions, c o n versational French instruction, and non-fiction writing. Meanwhile, the c r u m b l i n g s t o n e h o u s e t h e Deggans bought in 1980 and r e s t o r e d has g r o w n i n t o an arts c e n t r e . Many p e o p l e w h o g o t h e r e c o m e back c h a n g e d . M o s t just relish the c h a n c e t o escape t h e d i s t r a c t i o n s o f t h e i r lives and c o n c e n t r a t e o n i m p r o v i n g t h e i r artistic skills in a w a r m , friendly a t m o s p h e r e . A f e w have even d e c i d e d t o w a l k away f r o m high-stress c a r e e r s because they have found the courage to follow their d r e a m s . " T h e y t u r n off t h e 21st c e n t u r y and start t o q u e s t i o n t h e i r lifestyles. W e s h o w t h e m t h e r e is a n o t h e r , s i m p l e r life," says Paul. T h e students are also i n s p i r e d by the Deggans, w h o have built the a r t of p o p p i e s and s u n f l o w e r s . H o w t o be able t o afford t o live a n d paint t h e r e -- t h a t was t h e n e x t q u e s t i o n . Paul had o f t e n d r e a m e d o f r u n ning his o w n art s c h o o l , o n e that w o u l d focus o n t h e study of " p h y s i c a l e x i s t e n c e " as t h e s o u r c e of a r t i s t i c i n s p i r a t i o n . His m o t t o w a s , " T e a c h students h o w to look, and their creative imaginations w o u l d be constantly enriched." A s detailed in Paul's b o o k All Our Summers Are French, t h e first painting holiday o c c u r r e d in 1980, and although students had t o sleep o n c o t s and assist in the c o o k i n g , it was a success. F u r t h e r r e s t o r a t i o n , including building t w o art s t u dios and r e n o v a t i n g t h e p r e s b y t e r y (the priest's home) followed. For the students, the t h r e e w e e k s they s p e n d in F r a n c e are inspiring. T h e r e ' s