The Beauty of chess is re-imagined at the loving hand of Miss Boll, Mastermind Betty Ollier-Lopez
In August of 2018, the city of Dieppe, located on the shores of Norman France, hosted its 14th annual International Chess Festival, and that’s where I fell in love with the art work of Miss Boll, Betty Ollier-Lopez.
Betty’s innovative art work captures the essence of the complex game, striking at the heart of a novice like me and of expert players and art collectors from around the globe. Miss Boll in her art life, and Betty to her friends, she re-imagines old ideas of leading literary and chess figures in ways as innovative as the Hypermoderns of the 1920s, making a new start for art by capturing the inner workings of the game and sharing them on canvas and multi-media surfaces.
A Clever Chica in style and spirit, she greeted my novice curiosity with respect and patience, and by the time I left her exhibit, I felt comfortable talking about the game on terms that made sense to me. Together, we were able to piece together a meaningful conversation in English and my pigeon French, and our time together made me forever devoted to her vision and her kind, gentle method.
If you are ever in Clermont-Ferrand, France, stop by her studio, or check out her schedule; you’re likely to get the chance to view a showing at one of the many chess tournaments that welcome her.
Les Bijoux de Sarah offers Sacred Gypsy symbols that celebrate time-honored traditions
Legends abound in the Camargue, a region in the south of France, just south of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône Delta.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a must-visit spot for pilgrims and tourists to the region, and among the most popular destinations is the fabled Sanctuary of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. As was the tradition, the sleepy little town developed around the church, and the center remains vibrant today, with shops and snacks and gathering places filled with voices speaking many languages. Just steps from the church, I found myself wanting a memento, and there she was—Sarah.
Humble and clean from the outside, her storefront, Les Bijoux de Sarah, is alive with meaningful symbols and jewelry for every budget and every belief system. Knowing that I did not have enough French to conduct a complicated negotiation for jewelry, I was a bit sheepish as I walked in. But Sarah, patient and ready to use hands and pictures and smiles to communicate with me, made me feel at home and at ease. Together, we carefully examined case after case of her unique and well-made treasures. And, together, we managed to locate treasures for my beloveds and myself, one of which I wear on my wrist each day to remind me of this Clever Chica pilgrimage.
Sarah is proud of her home. She welcomes the mystic that is Camargue, and her tolerant patience is an example by which we can all learn and grow. Her prices are fair; her inventory is vast and of the highest quality, and she wraps each purchase, no matter how small, with the care of a mother’s love—with delicate hands and careful attention to details.
A Clever Chica in thought, word, and deed, she personifies the legend of Sarah so long associated with this town. She shows us all that dedication to your purpose surpasses our differences as she welcomes guest after guest to her store. If you are ever lucky enough to make your way to her threshold, consider buying a symbol of Sarah to carry her spirit and that legend with you when you go.
ARt, passion, and Patience drive her gypsy heart and inspire original artwork for our homes and lives at L’Atelier en camargue
The legends surrounding flamingos are as plentiful as the stories of the Saintes Maries who are celebrated in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer each May and the Gardians, or cowboys, who are celebrated in the city’s July festivities. For residents and migrants to this city-by-the-sea, mystic symbols of the gypsy heart, the flamingo, and the accessories of the Gardians and their ladies are in high demand. This featured Clever Chica, a native of Italy with a traveler’s heart, brings her unique perspective to representing all of the major symbols of Camargue life.
From her original designs on pillows to her delicate, hand-made bags and sachets, this Clever Chica creates her art and mans her own store in the city’s busy tourist area. Honestly, it was the craftsmanship and the really, really low price of a straw bag outside the door that drew me in. But once she smiled at me, I was drawn to her gypsy heart and the warmth that her creative perspective spills lovingly on to all in her gaze.
Her designs are, at once, modern and functional yet somehow connected to the form, in a Greek sense, of what they represent. But it was her tiny, little brown aumonière that won my heart forever. I spotted it across the store—lodged on a distant shelf in the back. The shells of the pilgrim adorned the brown crocheted bag, and the dainty leather straps were at once functional and trustworthy. I’d seen the ladies dressed in their traditional clothes wearing these bags the night before at the annual La Feria du Cheval.
When I questioned our Chica about the bag, her eyes literally lit up. She told me that she’s finished it just the night before and that she makes them every year for the festival. She talked about how special it was to her and how she hoped it would find a great home. She told me about how the bags are traditional. Ladies wear them to be discrete and feminine—to hold their important personal items while allowing their hands to remain free. As she talked, she got more and more animated, and I became more and more certain that this bag was coming with me.
It did, and when I got home, months later, and unpacked it, I found a special, secret gift inside—a hand-made sachet with hand-picked lavender. Wow. Amazing. I’m still blown away every time I think about this tender spirit and how she sent a present inside the gift of her artisanal accomplishment.
Thank you, Clever Chica, for working tirelessly on your designs…for creating treasures that everyone can afford and enjoy…for making your art at the highest level of quality and craftsmanship…and for caring that they find good and loving homes. Rest assured that they have—and they will.