Lacoste wins best dressed village

Open Studio - formally known as 'Vernissage', is a quarterly event where local people are invited to step inside the studios of the European study abroad program for  Savannah College of Art & Design. For eight weeks, students get the chance to live in the heart of our village, work and sleep in beautifully renovated ancient buildings and soak up the light and atmosphere that makes this place so special.

This term welcomed a class of Fibers students, under the guidance of my friend Prof. Jessica Smith. One of the tasks they undertook was to learn to dye fabric using locally sourced plant dyes. All of the beautiful  flags and bunting you see in the photographs is their work. If only we could keep these beautiful creations up all year round!

Even nature collaborated with the village to create powerful explosions of colour.

Fibers alchemy .... Maddow root (creates reddish purple to reddish orange), Weld (creates yellow), Onion (creates gold) and Olive leaves (creates tan).

Louis discovered this little guy clinging on to an ancient wall face, hoping no one would notice him.

Look how pretty the street is!

I loved this work and the photography students gathered around a camera in the background.

My favourite building in Lacoste - the original bakery or boulangerie

A local character who majestically struts up and down the street demanding adoration from passers-by.

The flags and Mistral perform a little dance

Can you spot the incredible poppy fields below?

This is one of the most breathtaking views in Lacoste, a private terrace that SCAD owns and opens up for Open Studio receptions!