What I Like About Naturist Art on the French Riviera

by Luc Gaudet
(St. Tropez, France)

In St. Tropez on assignment for a Japanese fashion photographer, there is time after the best of the light to do some sketching. A study like this one could turn into a piece of jewelry or a tabletop accessory.

Our work is being done on small sections of private beaches. We are here off-season, with clean beaches and no crowds.

As a college boy Josette was my first serious infatuation. A lovely girl, we passed hours discussing world affairs and culture. Both of us were sportif - or athletic - so we biked, hiked and camped the French countryside.

The study I submitted is a memory of a beach holiday. I travel a great deal for my work. So pencils and paper are the easiest supplies to bring along. And when I need more, they are the simplest to replace anywhere.

Basically, I started with a plain black graphite pencil. I go for a loose treatment just letting my hand run shapes over the paper to begin. In a few minutes a figure starts to emerge. These loose studies are like ideas I'm jotting down. Often there are several on a page.

The vertical interest is created with the leaves. By having the female figure informally lean against the leaf stems, an off-handed casualness takes over. I'm working to rid the sketch of self-consciousness. If I go further this study could be the basis for a finished drawing.

Adding color with pastel pencils was an experiment to test whether I prefer soft or more bold colors in the treatment.

When finished the loose study rests in a pile of other sketches. They might find life later as watercolors or digitally altered art. Sometimes a friend has an interest and it becomes a gift.