Let's venture together to Honfleur, a charming town in Normandy in France, for a visit between four walls. Forget the paintings of Eugène Boudin and the art of Claude Monet for a moment, and let me tell you about this meeting with La Forge de Honfleur and its artisan painter!
A meeting in the streets of Honfleur… 🖌️
Is it an art museum, a building plastered with decorations of all kinds, an artists' business, or a typical Honfleur house? Who knows ! La Forge seems to me to be a real chameleon. Nestled in the Sainte-Catherine district, a stone's throw from the city's Vieux Bassin, this colorful house piqued my curiosity...
As I push open the doors to this new world of painting and sculpture, I am immediately greeted by Florence Marie, the hostess. La Forge is his business but above all, his art de vivre. Little everyday surprises for those around you (even the neighbors' dog, see 1min03 of the video!), passing through the landscapes of Normandy and the city: everything is a source of inspiration for this work!
Paintings, glazing, carpentry… Each of his creations has been telling its story for almost 30 years! If Florence is today recognized as a craftsman and painter in Honfleur and in France, this was not always the case. For this native of Normandy, of Le Havre more precisely, painting is a gift that she cultivates with love and without limits!
A visit and a thousand corners! 🖼️
After the stories, make way for art in Honfleur! Because Florence Marie, our house painter, does not only work in the workshop, but with the whole building : inside the house to the exterior walls, in the garden, and even in hidden corners... A true artistic dialogue is written between the creations outside and inside!
This art building, this living museum, managed to transport me into the world of this painter... The world of artists and craftsmen! The visit has barely begun when I am surprised to discover glazing work at the very heart of the house, in a small chapel full of colors. From wooden walls to glass ceilings, Florence Marie's creations leave me dreaming... Paintings of birds, animals, nature that inspire me with a desire for freedom!
I venture into the garden, where I meet a chimney giraffe, wooden dragon and a whole bunch of achievements, each more surprising than the last! If I feel like I'm getting lost in the heart of this work, I notice with admiration every detail and every finish. As the painter herself explains to me, the house is in constant metamorphosis ! Renovation, work, touches of paint here and there… Soon, a new creation will beautify the roof of the house!
But this tour isn't over yet, and as I head inside the building, I'm speechless. This is a real artist's house! For Florence, everything is subject to art: paintings, glazing, decorations of all kinds... From the parquet floor to the top of the interior walls, the old Norman carpentry is imbued with its artistic spirit!
Useful information
How do we visit the Forge?
To preserve the place and its uniqueness, the Forge can be visited by appointment.
Contact 06 44 03 70 33.
It's not free ?
The visit is free.
Where is the Forge?
La Forge is located at 25, rue de la Foulerie in Honfleur.
To learn more
Other artists to discover in Honfleur 🧑🎨
After my visit to La Forge and my meeting with the artisan painter Florence Marie, I feel like an artist myself! And in Honfleur, there is no shortage of artists: Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin, Gustave Courbet… To extend this experience in the world of art, I am taking note of new addresses:
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