When Dean and I (Dudley) went to France a few years ago, we had no idea how much we would discover about the many ways our own lives parallel that of the painter Claude Monet. Our journey was a sacred pilgrimage as we followed in the Impressionist master's footsteps. That trip continues to be a source of inspiration for our music and video. The first release of course was MONET'S GARDEN, our music which you have hopefully already enjoyed listening to on your favorite streaming service. To create the album, we took the field recordings Dean captured in the painter's gardens in Giverny and when we returned home, we added our flutes, harps, and singing bowls. We ve been talking about the music for many months, but now we are delighted to share with you about our new movie called IN MONET'S FOOTSTEPS WITH DEAN & DUDLEY EVENSON.
Monet's Painting & Gardens
Because our journey was so visual, we first wanted to show the viewers the many Monet paintings we saw hanging in museums in Paris. We visited Le Mus e de l Orangerie, Mus e Marmottan Monet, Mus e d Orsay, and the Louvre. Then we took the train north to the small village of Giverny where he lived with his large family for four decades. There we saw more of his paintings at Mus e des Impressionnismes. Of course, we were most excited to experience the lush flower and water gardens Monet created around his home so he could just walk out his door and paint the glorious nature surrounding him. Being in those gardens and in his beautiful home gave us a sense of his life and the nature that inspired him.
Etretat & Normandy
After immersing ourselves in the gardens, we take the viewer with us to the cliffs at Etretat on the Normandy coast. We stayed nearby in the ancient fishing village of Honfleur that inspired so many impressionist painters. Once we returned home, we dove even more into researching his life and art which helped us to better understand how much we had in common. We also discovered that many of the flowers, bushes, and trees that he had are also growing in our own gardens. In the process we learned how Monet's innovative lifework parallels our lives and the music and video offerings we have created, inspired by our own gardens and beautiful nature where we live in the Pacific Northwest.
Thank you for watching our movie In Monet s Footsteps with Dean & Dudley Evenson. We hope you enjoy. And thanks for subscribing to our Soundings of the Planet YouTube Channel.
In Monet s Footsteps Credits
Video: Dean Evenson, Dudley Evenson, Brett Steelhammer, Cybele Olsen, Daniel Harm; Editing: Brett Steelhammer; Animation: Elijah Evenson; Graphics: Bob Paltrow; Sound: Phil Heaven.
Music from Monet s Garden by Dean & Dudley Evenson includes these tracks: Cascading Willows, Water Lily Nymphs, Field of Flowers, Water Garden, Wisteria Footbridge, Evening in Giverny, Golden Tones
Listen to Monet s Garden on your favorite streaming service.
And if you still play CDs, please order Monet s Garden CD on Amazon.