Artist in Residence at BeArtz, Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France

An old basket-weaving buddy of mine and I had been looking for an epic basket weaving (or, at least, weaving adjacent) trip to Europe.  We were both excited to see some sights and maybe learn some new techniques, but mainly it was a good excuse for us to spend some time together, since we hadn't seen each other since I had moved to Mexico in 2017. 

In late 2023, she found a workshop at BeArtz in Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France. Neither of us had ever heard of the school, or the village, but we thought, it's the south of France, so how bad could it be?  Even if the class is a dud, we will still be in the south of France! Ha! So, we enthusiastically signed up and paid our deposits, and then started planning. We were having a blast with way over thinking the trip- getting there, getting around, where else we'd visit, how long we could conceivably be away from home.. but then, she suddenly had to cancel due to an unexpected, but necessary surgery. My friend was heart-broken to be missing the trip, but kept encouraging me to still go and have fun.. So, after much hand-wringing and many many talks with Randall, I decided to go on my own, and then meet him in Bordeaux after the class was over.  And, I am so so glad I decided to go! Not to be dramatic, or anything, but this trip changed my life in ways I wouldn't have even suspected.

Be-Artz is a bourgeoning artist collective featuring workshops, residencies, retreats, and more for artists, and fans of art. Magdelena Groszek is the genius behind the project and she is constantly and tirelessly working to update and retool the living and working spaces to better accommodate whatever kind of art and artist finds their way to her doors. An accomplished artist in her own right, Magdalena has a passion and dedication to creating a space where art can thrive and artists can meet and work, sharing ideas and inspiration. Be-Artz is mainly housed in the Guard House, a breathtaking 1000 year old structure with meter-thick stone walls and the original stairway and tower extant.  There are 8 private rooms, some with shared bath, some with en suites.  There is a huge shared kitchen, with everything anyone might need to create gourmet meals.  Everywhere you look there is art, your eyes are constantly feasting.  I loved the house from the moment I walked in. 

Sauveterre-de-Béarn is in the southwest of France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The village itself is very small (only about 1400 residents), and very very old, with buildings dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. I immediately fell in love with Sauveterre with its gorgeous architecture and pretty, winding lanes, the Gave d'Oloron (the picturesque, crystal clear river running through the town), the incredible people I met there, the food (and the wine), pretty much everything! I was in absolute heaven the whole week I was there.  In fact, after I left to meet Randall in Bordeaux, we both decided to return to Sauveterre for a few days, and then, he fell in love with it, too! 

When we came home to Oaxaca, I couldn't get Sauveterre, or BeArtz, out of my head.  So, when Magdelena asked me if I wanted to come back for a couple of weeks in 2025, I jumped at the opportunity, excitedly pairing the trip with a basket festival in Provence that I had wanted to attend for decades!

The Guardhouse tower and stairway

Grapevine growing up the side of an ancient walled chateau.

Steps leading to the ruined castle.

Above, some samples of the art in and around The Guard House.

The view from "my room" at BeArtz.

And, so, in August of 2025, I found myself back in Sauveterre-de-Béarn for the second time in two years, but this time for my very first artist in residency!

I arrived in France just in time for an historic heat wave, where temperatures shot up to an excruciating 43 degrees Celsius (a shocking and dangerous 109 Fahrenheit!). It was BOILING hot.  Even in the shade of the trees, it was still too hot to be outside much and we spent most of the first week just trying to stay cool, but we learned that we could take walks in the morning along the river, and then end our walk with a swim, in the still chilly, but very clear and refreshing Gave L'Oloron.

Pont de la Légende

I was thrilled to meet these two beautiful babies, the ambassadors of BeArtz, Pepita (above) and Cookie (right) They are both the absolute most sweetest girls and they made being away from my kitties for so long so much easier to bear.

Our favorite swimming hole.

Pepita leads the way

Even the drains here are picturesque.

Walking back from a swim.

Sauveterre-de-Béarn is such a charming little village. I absolutely love the winding, narrow streets and the ancient, sometimes decaying architecture. There was a village festival while I was there celebrating the local breed of cow, which they call "the Blonde", but it was still way too hot for me to spend a lot of time at a crowded festival. I kept my strolls to the early mornings or evenings, and napped away the sweltering afternoons.

As you can see, Sauveterre-de-Béarn is just this perfect, magical, fairy tale village come true. Just wandering through the streets was a visual feast, and the natural beauty hidden in plain sight could not help but inspire!

One day, I ran across a real life Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom moment! I was taking a picture of the Tower of Monreal, and I saw... a cat! The tower is on a hill overlooking the river, and is 33 meters high by itself, so it is VERY FAR to the ground and there was this little black and white cat (not Cookie!) trying to use up one of his lives chasing a pigeon across the very narrow ledge. I saw it in the picture I took of the tower (left- can you see him??), then zoomed in to watch and record the ensuing drama. I was terrified that he'd fall, but somehow he didn't, and then the church bells suddenly rang out, and the cat managed to back all the way off the ledge safely and run away across the rooftop! What a scary day for this little guy! Or, maybe it's a totally normal day, maybe he does this sort of thing all the time! Ha!

One day, we took an afternoon and drove to Espelette to visit the Michelin-starred Choko Ona. And start to finish, it was a magical experience.  The space itself is gorgeously outfitted, and the attention to detail was so perfect. As a former restauranteur I was so impressed with the design which was not just visually stunning, so many of the minutest details worked to make the servers' jobs easier. So often, especially in nicer restaurants they'll get a designer in and come up with all these ideas that are beautiful, but make the job of service even more complicated than they always always are, but this place.. wow. The tables had these little built in drawers that held extra flatware, but also served as a resting place for trays and dishes that were being used for service, those touches just made me so happy, and made me love the place even more! But, the FOOD! It was transcendent. If you're ever in the area, this place is a MUST. 

Another day, we drove up into the Pyrenees to see a flock of vultures.  According to our guide, the cattle farmers of the area are required to dispose of deceased livestock in this same little gated area and then they are disposed of by these flocks of vultures who station themselves nearby. It was a kind of strange experience, but the views were outstanding! 

But, like I said, way way up there at the beginning of this story, I was there to do an artist residency. I honestly don't really know what that means, and I think it might be different for everybody. But, I did manage to make a few pieces! And, I loved loved loved the lighting and background that the Guard House stairs afforded me.  They looked so good there! 

I believe that all of these pieces are available through the gallery at BeArtz, but I will update the portfolio page to reflect any changes in status. 

As a bonus for anyone still reading, you get to know the most exciting revelations from this trip!

First, Café d'Arts Pyrénées offered me a show in April 2026! Which is super exciting in and of itself. The show runs 2 months, to June, and then in June I will be teaching my very first workshop at BeArtz. I am so beyond excited and I hope that it is a huge success, by which I mean that anyone shows up at all. I'm optimistic, but also a little terrified. But, like I always used to say when we were in the bar business, "terrified is just like excited." So, there we are!